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Two-roomed town pub, one of Tetley’s Heritage Inns. Don’t miss the Smoke Room (dubbed the Vatican) at the front with its anelling, serving hatch and stained glass windows.
Two star - A pub interior of very special national historic interest
Listed status: II
The New Inn is a town-centre pub of long standing, completely remodelled in 1934 and preserving an outstanding room from that time - the front smoke room. Sometimes dubbed ‘The Vatican’ (for which there are differing theories), this charming little room has fine wood panelling, stylish built-in settles, original bell-pushes and a striking bow-windowed counter screen with intact sashed serving hatches. The decorative leaded windows are striking too, with ‘sporting’ scenes that may reflect the enthusiasm of members of the Middlebrough family, the pub’s local brewer-owners of the time. Their architect for the 1934 refurbishment was John Poulson, then just 24 years of age and as yet untainted by the national scandals that would lead to his later shaming and jailing. Poulson had begun his career with the Pontefract firm of Garside & Pennington who were experienced pub designers, but this may be one of the few pub commissions he undertook in his own right. A sensitive refurbishment was carried out in 2015.
18th century town-centre pub with a c.1900 public house front and situated on a deep, narrow medieval plot. Its main interest derives from a refurbishment of 1933 (Architect JGL Poulson) when it belonged to the local brewing firm of Middlebrough. Their patronage produced an interior rich in leaded glass, stylish joinery detail and Arts & Crafts features. Its inclusion as one of the top Heritage Pubs is for the front smoke room which is a splendid survival but there are other original fittings in much altered back parts of the pub done by Tetleys who bought the pub in the 1950s and gave it ‘Tetleys Heritage Inn” status in the 1980s.
The smoke room was dubbed ‘The Vatican’ (because only Roman Catholics were once invited in here) this wonderful room boasts fine wood panelling to picture frame level, original fixed seating, original bell pushes and a striking bow-windowed counter screen with three intact sash serving hatches but the lower sections kept in the upright position. The only change appears to be the painting over in cream of the original inter-war red brick interior of the wood surround fireplace (and adding of a modern fire). The front windows have two colourful leaded panels depicting shooting scenes (one is a modern replacement as is the glass in the door).
The inner porch has a terrazzo floor with the wording ‘New Inn’ and a dado of inter-war tiling. The main bar on the right and rear (an amalgamation of the saloon bar, concert room and jug & bottle) also retains the original counter with screens up to the ceiling but it has lost most of the lower rising panels – just the rear one on the return remains. There is more original fixed seating in a series of bays with bell pushes and similar front windows with two colourful leaded panels depicting shooting scenes. The bar back was much modernised in 2004 and at the rear is a replacement Victorian-style fireplace.
There was a separate small snug at the rear but this has been amalgamated with the main bar and its fixed seating was removed when converted into a pool room. The gents’ retains its three old Doulton’s urinals and terrazzo floor but modern tiles. At the rear of the building former stables have been converted into a "Nite" Spot called ‘Main Street’.
Underwent a sympathetic refurbishment in 2016.
This Pub serves 1 changing beer and 1 regular beer.
New Inn, Selby
Source: Local
Dog Friendly
Real Ale
Real Heritage Pub
Pubs to Cherish Yorkshire's Real Heritage Pubs lists the 119 public houses in the Yorkshire region which still have interiors or internal features of real historic significance. They are a richly-diverse part of Yorkshire's cultural and built heritage. Some of...
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