Princess Royal, Sheffield

Re-built of stone in the mid 1920s for Duncan Gilmour, Brewers (architects: Hall & Fenton, Sheffield), the interior was changed in c1949 when the small servery situated just inside the pub and an off sales to the right of the porch were removed; the present centrally situated servery added; and toilets brought inside. Apart from the opening-up of the smoke room on the right (in the 1980s?) the interior is little changed since 1949 with two (was three) rooms still including an active billiard room. It has a lovely set of Gilmour’s etched and frosted exterior windows, some with their Windsor Castle symbol.

The entrance lobby has a mosaic floor and a dado of 1920s tiling in cream and green and an inner door in a good screen. Across the front of the pub is the single room main bar originally the Lounge & Dining Room on the left and the Smoke Room on the right but a small piece of wall including the door to the smoke room has been removed (in the 1980s?). The bar counter is the c.1949 one with a modern top and has a row of tiles at the top and the back fitting is from c.1949 with some modernisation. There is some 1920s panelling one piece of wall on the left, in the former smoke room area on the right and also on the left there is 1920s fixed seating which has been re-fitted and boxed-in, and there is a modern tiled dado in the former off sales area and to the right of the servery.

At the rear left is the billiard room now with a three-quarter sized table (presumable replacing a full sized one). The fixed seating looks to be the original from the 1920s but has been re-fitted and boxed-in. There are three good 1920s baffles by doors – two by the door to the corridor created in c.1949 leading to the toilets. There is a small counter from c.1949 with a modern top. The fireplace looks like a replacement (or is it the c.1949 one?). There is a Club Room above the billiard room which is still in use for meetings.

The first mention of the name, Princess Royal in a Directory is in 1937. Also, in that year, the building was designated as a Public House, not, as previously, a Beerhouse. Also note, the mention of Licensed for Billiards above the entrance door.

The first mention of a phone number is in a 1954 Directory. The pub has had the same phone number since then. Gilmours were taken over by Tetleys (Leeds) in 1954 – perhaps the telephone was installed at this point?