Travellers Rest, Alpraham

A wayside, brick-built pub on the busy A51, Nantwich to Chester road. The original part consists of a T-plan building of c.1850 with Tudor-style windows. This has been extended, notably to the rear, in 1937. The pub retains four rooms and has been in the hands of the same family since 1900. The last changes were in c.1970 when the fourth room was brought into use as a public room. The fittings are plain and date from shortly before the Second World War. In the centre of the pub is a small public bar with a counter which extends into the lounge at the rear. Fronting the main road are the tap room (right) and darts room (left).

The corner door leads to the tap room which was probably the main drinking room in the past even though it has no counter as beer would have been served straight from the cask prior to 1937. It has a genuine Victorian tiled, cast-iron and wood-surround fireplace and a 1930s Ind Coope & Allsopp mirror. A doorway leads to the very small public bar - the room most in use these days. It has a counter, back-fitting and other furniture were probably installed in 1937. The cast-iron fireplace and beauty board panelling around date from c.1970.

The lounge bar is situated in the extension and has fittings of 1937. The counter front has wallpaper added to its frontage and one wall has more beauty board from c.1970. The room has its own entrance and is usually closed, but if you want to take a look just ask. It is used by Bowling Club members - between the pub and the fields to the rear is a bowling green in regular use.

At the rear is a wooden building, originally a WW1 army hut and in use as a tea room between the late 1940s to 1989. It is still used occasionally for darts competitions and as a small function room. Both sets of toilets are outside - take a peek into the gents' which in summer is home to a family of swallows, who first arrived in 2003.

Just beyond the domestic entrance is the Wicker Room/Darts Room on the front left of the pub, brought into use in c.1970. It was decided the tap room was too busy for darts games so a little-used domestic room brought into use. It has a glazed brick, cast-iron and wood-surround fireplace and beauty board on the walls. Look for the half door which creates a serving hatch to the back of the public bar but also is the door at the top of the cellar steps.

There is no electronic gadgetry here - the till is a drawer in the bar counter and there is no TV, piped music or fruit machines - so in the event of a power cut it can continue to fully operate with candles! If you visit on the Sunday lunchtime before Christmas Eve expect to see people coming from miles around wearing a topical or themed hat. Back in 1990 a chap came in wearing a bowler hat and ever since this has become 'Hat Sunday' and carols are sung. Closed Mon to Fri lunchtimes.