Royal Oak, Ockbrook

Set back from the road and rendered all over, this building has been a pub since 1865. An excellent four roomed village pub that saw some significant changes in the mid 1950s and few alterations since, having been run by Olive Wilson and her family since 1953. From the front door a passage with ply panelling on the walls and an old settle leads to the public bar in the middle of the pub. The bar counter of classic 50s design and with a red Formica top replaced the original wood and glass screen with just a serving hatch in the middle of it - they claim to have retained most of the old panels in the loft! There are two sections of bar back with Formica shelves also added in the mid 50s. On the front left is the splendid Tap Room, so called because it was here that locals used to tap coins on their glasses when they wanted serving. It has a '1' painted on the door, a red quarry tiled floor, fixed seating from the early 20th century which has been re-upholstered and a classic 1930s tiled fireplace.

On the right is another delightful room - the very small snug with '2' painted on the door. It has a tiny hatch in the old partitioned wall to the servery, a small tiled fireplace from the early 20th century and leatherette covered fixed seating from the mid 50s. At the rear is the lounge which was extended back to double its size in 1999. The original front section has what looks like a inglenook fireplace and the carpet covers a parquet floor. Note that the fixed seating in the rear section is a copy of the original early 20th century seating in the front section. To the rear left is the Assembly Room added in 1911 with a bare wood floor and two fireplaces, one with glazed bricks. There is a bar added in 1993 - you can still see the 1955 bar back on the wall of the black and red tiled passage to the toilets. At the front of the pub the outside toilets still remain, as does the original outside gents opposite them.