Olde Dolphin Inne, Derby

Derby's oldest pub with the licence said to date from 1580. This four room pub is a remarkable survivor considering its city-centre location. It is a late 16th-century building but most of what we see today is the result of an inter-war restoration, which created much of the internal arrangements and character of the pub. Externally the upper floor is half-timbered though a close inspection will show that the timbers date from the inter-war remodelling - the original timbers failed when the external rendering was removed. The entrance leads to a corridor passing through the building: it used to lead to some cottages but these have been demolished and a drinking patio has been created. A staircase on the right leads to '1530 AD Steak Bar' (the pub claims to date from 1530) - an upstairs restaurant open Thu, Fri, Sat from 6.30pm. This room has massive 16th-century timbers and an old brick fireplace with a brass hood.

The four bars are to the left of the passage and are grouped around a central servery. The lovely small snug (rear right) has a part-glazed partition wall around the servery, full-height fielded wood panelling with a painted grain effect, and inter-war fixed seating and leaded windows; the fireplace is possibly tiled but painted black: service is from a hatch/door. The lounge (rear left) has more interwar furnishings including a large inglenook fireplace. The front right bar has a red quarry-tiled floor, dado panelling with benches attached, a brick and wood surround fireplace with a log fire: the bar-back fitting is inter-war but the counter was replaced in the 1980s. On a slightly higher level is Offilers Lounge, named after the local brewery which was closed by (Bass) Charrington in 1966, and so called because contained Offilers' breweriana (since removed). There are a number of bell-pushes in the panel above the fixed seating but the fireplace is modern. Ghost walks start from here on the first or second Monday of each month and include a meal in the '1530 AD' restaurant.