This imposing pub has undergone a sympathetic restoration with most of the original features still in place, including the horse-shoe shaped bar and its heated foot rail, bell pushes in the lounge, serving hatch and leaded windows. Three hand pumps dispense a range of beers, including two guest ales. There is a smoking area to the rear. Pub recently re-opened near the end of October 24. No food options yet, concentrating of the ale side.
AWARDS:
CAMRA Potteries Pub of the Year 2011 (Merit), 2012 (Merit), 2013 (Merit), 2014 (Merit), 2015 (Merit), 2016 (Merit).
Historic Interest
Heated footrail, bell pushes
Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance
Listed status: II
A prominent and largely intact pub from the 1930s with an outstanding variety of drinking spaces and many notable fittings.
From the inner lobby, with its terrazzo floors, one door leads to an off-sales created by full-height glazed partition walls; a removed panel gives access to the public bar (the original door to this now being locked out of use). Another set of doors brings you to the lobby bar, also with a terrazzo floor and whose servery is surrounded by glazed screen-work up to the ceiling, with just the lower raising panels missing. Two rooms lead off the corridor - there has been some opening out here. The front room has fielded panelling with bell-pushes all round, mostly original fixed seating and original window glass. More panelling in the rear room but only on one wall and the fireplace has gone. Through the double doors at the end of the L-shaped corridor is another inner lobby. Going back to the public bar, this has mostly intact fittings - the bar counter, island gantry-style bar-back, fixed seating and glazed stone and wood fireplace. The Duke William Suite on the first floor is also worth a look (used as a restaurant).
Prominent corner site pub probably dating from c.1930 and is still pretty much intact. From the door on St John’s Street the inner lobby on two levels has a terrazzo floor – the higher area on the right has a door now permanently open which leads in to the off sales created by full height part glazed partition walls. It too has a terrazzo floor, hatch window to the servery and the only item missing is a panel on the right which now forms the way into the public bar – the original public bar door with ‘bar’ in an etched panel being locked out of use. To the left double doors lead into the lobby bar with terrazzo floor with some covered by carpet. The servery is surrounded by glazed screenwork right up to the ceiling with only the lower raising panels missing.
Two rooms lead off the corridor but there has been some opening out - a widish opening between the two rooms and also from the front room to the corridor. The front room has inter-war fielded panelling to picture-frame height all around the room with bell pushes, a good wood surround fireplace with a modern tiled interior, original fixed seating at the front but the small piece at the rear looks more post-war; and original window glass. The rear room has more inter-war wall panelling on one wall, original fixed seating, rear bay windows have stained and leaded panels but no sign of a fireplace. Through the double doors in a nearly full height partition at the end of the L-shaped corridor is another inner lobby with a terrazzo floor. The public bar in the corner of the pub retains its original counter, original island gantry-like original bar back, original fixed seating, and a good blue glazed stone and wood surround fireplace of the inter-war period. Modernised toilets.
On the first floor is the Duke William Suite, a restaurant with a bare wood floor, old looking dado panelling, and through two gaps in the wall there is a good but modern bar counter and modest bar back.
This Pub serves 2 changing beers and 1 regular beer.
Duke William, Stoke-on-Trent
Source: National