Rai d'Or, Salisbury

This pub is a modest-sized single-room L-shaped bar, with surviving elements of partitions showing how the room was originally divided into three. The semi-partition on the street side of the bar, dividing the space with the main bar counter from the long arm of the L, is old with white painted wooden panelling which forms one side of a surviving vestibule. A modern, trellised partition has been added more recently above, and extending slightly beyond, the bar. n the centre of the long arm of the L is a fire-place and old chimney (no longer in use) effectively constituting another partial division of this space into two, with a wide gap between the fireplace and the corner of the counter. The fireplace just mentioned faces into the “heel” of the L, meaning that each of the former spaces would have had its own fireplace, although there appear only ever to have been two external doors. The pub has wooden flooring throughout.

The main bar counter appears to be inter-war with wooden panelling: the recessed rectangular centre panels have been painted white, but the bars separating them are varnished. There is surviving wall panelling, largely painted white, and wooden fixed seating with unusual spindled legs, which extends into an alcove to the left of the fireplace. This large and apparently very old fireplace and hearth is now unused. A (1970s?) mural of a stone circle with a celtic-style wreathed border has been painted on the chimney breast. Similar wreathed patterns decorate the ceiling beams.

At the end of the long arm of the L there is a bricked-up fireplace with wooden surround that could be inter-war. There is also surviving fixed seating in this area in the form of a settle-type unit. Some leaded windows survive, although some have been replaced by modern imitations. The short end of the counter which faces into this area is of similar style and age to the longer counter in the base of the L. Fixed seating survives also in the space in the heel of the L, with a mural apparently of Stonehenge, above the small disused fireplace. Panelling in these two areas is painted white below the dado, varnished above it.