CAMRA Heritage Interiors
CAMRA maintains National and Regional Inventories of public houses in which the surviving interior of the building has heritage value.
CAMRA currently recognises 3 categories of historic interior:
- National Importance
- Regional Importance
- Some Regional Importance
Unfortunately, the CAMRA inventories of historic interiors convey no special protection to either the pub or the interior itself.
Those interested in pubs with historic interiors should visit CAMRA’s dedicated website using the following link:
CAMRA Pub Heritage – Historic Interiors
There are no standard national CAMRA wall plaques for pubs with recognised historic interiors, although some certificates have been issued in the past.
However, Nottingham CAMRA’s entries on the CAMRA pub-finder website, “WhatPub” note register entries where applicable.
There are also a number of excellent books published by CAMRA in which enthusiasts share their knowledge. Our local reference work is:
Real Heritage Pubs of the Midlands – Historic Pub Interiors to Visit and Enjoy; edited by Paul Ainsworth and published by CAMRA (2015) [ISBN: 978-1-85249-324-0]
Historic Pub Interiors of National Importance in our area

Test Match Hotel
Gordon Road, West Bridgford NG2 5LP [NOT/475]
Historic Pub Interiors of Regional Importance in our area
Historic Pub Interiors of Some Regional Importance in our area
Historic Pub Interiors of Regional Importance in our area
Disappointingly, many pubs with CAMRA recognised heritage interiors have been lost in recent years. Shown below are those once recognised as special but now lost in the Nottingham area. Knowing what has been lost will perhaps make it easier for pub-goers to value those heritage interiors we still have. And to use them and to campaign to save them.
The pubs with lost heritage interiors listed below are accompanied by the CAMRA heritage list entry and / or notes made by Mick Slaughter / Steve Peck and JT/JMT.
“By Sam Smith 1959, then sold to Shipstone. Unaltered layout. Bar has original fittings and benches. Large estate pub, opened 1959. Suburban exterior with impressive tiled roof, but looking in need of maintenance. Unaltered layout: plain bar on the left with pool; lounge front-centre; large function room rear-right. The decor is rather anonymous; there’s some panelling around the counter, but this may not be original.” (S Peck/Dec06)
“A genuine locals pub close to the city centre with three caves, two used as cellars, a shrine on the front left of the pub put up by the Roman Catholic Church, a War memorial in the lounge, two figures from the TV series Worzel Gummage and a mural of Dick Turpin !!
“The small off-sales room is still intact with a small round table and stool. Although refurishes, little has change for some time, again possibly due to a long serving licensee – Roger Clarke was here for 17 years until 1994. Only food is cobs sold on weekday lunchtimes , there is no jukebox, and the TV is only put on for sports.
“The main cave on right is down eight steps and was used as air raid shelter in World War Two. The middle cave is used as a draught beer store, which due to the steady temperature requires no additional cooling equipment. The one on the left is used as a bottle store. You are able to look around the caves at anytime. Best to look during daylight and I suggest you ring in advance.
“The Public Bar on the right was clearly two rooms at some time in the past as there are two brick fireplaces now covered by radiators. This carpeted room has the mural of Dick Turpin, fixed seating, a coal effect gas fire and darts.
“The lounge has a First World War wall memorial errected in 1919 which remembers the 270 local soldiers who died. There are also two figures from the original set for Worzel Gummage ! . There is a skittle alley at the rear and the pub has two skittle teams.” [Mick Slaughter]
“Rebuilt possibly in 1968 (date of an entry in the Nottingham City Brewster Sessions records) by Shipstones as part of urban generation it has barely changed since. A large lobby with Formica to dado height has unaltered gents’ and ladies’ off it. To the right the public bar has the original bar counter with a Formica top, original bar back and fixed seating. On the right hand side there are signs that a wall may have been removed (stub of wall on both sides and a different ceiling height) – was this the site of an off sales or a snug when built? The lounge on the rear left retains its original copper-topped bar counter but there are no dispensers, and only the lower half of the bar back remains i.e. the top part has been removed.”
Now converted to an Islamic Centre.
“Rebuilt interwar with odd timbered exterior and mansard roofs – has Bar, Lounge with magnificant carved oak-panelled walls and a noteable fireplace (from elsewhere ? says S Peck) and a small Family Room – the splendid LOUNGE on the right doubles as a dining room and has a clinker shaped, slanting and curved bar counter, wonderful panelling all way around the room with moulded or wood carved panels at the top, bar back may be original and has more moulded./carved wood, inglenook style fireplace with more carved wood panels over the fireplace and 1930s brick inner painted black and white and a log fire – there is a small plain CHILDREN’S ROOM with darts – BAR on the left retains its original panelled counter, new bar back, no fixed seating just settees and armchairs, 1930s brick firteplace painted white and black with a log fire, carpet at front, quarry tiled at rear, more of an L-shaped room, pool at rear, jukebox, machine, TV (sports) – square panelling around front porch/lobby – modernised gents – was Shipstones in past, Enterprise and now Punch.”
“Inter-war opening-up – intact lounge on the left (JT) Rebuilt interwar. Prominent building with odd timbered exterior and mansard roofs. Bar, lounge and small family room. The lounge has magnificent carved oak-panelled walls and a notable fireplace (presumably obtained from elsewhere). (SP) Rebuilt 1920/30’s with two rooms. Included for its virtually intact lounge with superb wood-effect plaster panelling, baronial-style fireplace and clinker built bar (forward leaning). Bar retains 1930’s fireplace and oak counter. Panelling around the lobby in light oak. A third room has been brought into use.” (M Slaughter/JT05) S Peck DEC 06
Demolished for residential development.
UPDATE 2015. Total refurbishment by Star Bars & Inns has removed virtually all the old fittings and opened up the three rooms and has led to this pub being re-categorised as Interior Ruined. The former description is shown below:
“Built by Home Brewery in 1963-4 behind the original pub, which was then demolished (this space is now the front patio and a small car park). It has an interesting interior where the layout and a lot of the original features survive. The front door leads to a wide lobby front-left with the toilets on the left where some tiling may have been replaced. Above the front door is a blacksmiths scene in deep relief which is a replacement for the original bronze one. There is no obvious sign of an off-sales but there is a door in the lobby on the public bar side. Large public bar with an interesting counter front which looks like the original as it is of a distinctive 1950s style, the bar back looks original with some fridges replacing part of lower shelves. There is what looks like some original fixed seating but the right hand side has no seating (i.e. has some been lost?) and is home to a pool table.
Doors at end of the lobby lead to a small room centre-left which has a ‘Lounge’ copper label but locals still call it ‘The Penny Lounge’ as beer cost one penny more in here than in the public bar when the pub opened. This room has interesting original panelling and counter fronts of the same design but the top part of the bar back fitting looks a replacement. The lower shelves do look like the original ones but a fridge has replaced some shelving and the fixed seating looks like the original.
The rear room, also labelled ‘Lounge’ (where the beer was two pennies dearer than in the public bar when the pub opened) has a three-part door from the ‘Penny Lounge’. This larger room also has interesting original panelling and counter fronts of the same design, and a Tudor style stone fireplace that may have been relocated here from elsewhere? The bar back looks like a mixture of old and new with a cupboard on the right hand side and fridges have replaced some shelving. Note the unusual coat hooks all along the top of the counter front. All the rooms have modern laminate floors and with the other modernised features in the rooms preclude a recommendation as a National Inventory Pub.
The book ‘The Inns and Pubs of Nottinghamshire’ (Notts County Council. 1995) states: “The current house was built in the 1960s and is the second to bear this name. The former pub occupied the old smithy which once stood on the site, hence the name”.
“Built 1929 – dark green glazed stone frontage and with colourful white swan stone motif – 3 rooms and large passageway – effectively 4 rooms – the recently refurbished MAIN BAR on right has carpet, an original bar counter, no proper bar back – note the till is situated in a dumb waiter, has re-upholstered bench seating in two sections, TV (sports), darts, pool, terratzo floor, no fireplace i.e. lost, juke box – PASSAGEWAY has terrazzo floors, one copper top table, one square table, stools, a handpump that is disused, and can be the busiest part of the pub with its large hatchway servery which is new, machine, TV (sports) – FRONT LOUNGE following a fire in 1970 it changed from a hatch service to a wood pannelled proper bar so both counter and bar back are modern, has carpet, 1960s tiled fireplace – used ?, upholstered fixed bench seating, small round green marble top tables, piped – also a quiet REAR LOUNGE with some modernisation has possibly original but re-upholstered fixed wall seating, an organ, TV (…………..), no fireplace, unusual brass circular tables – on the rear right is a ROOM brought into use with carpet, no fireplace, pool table, cast-base tables – stairs to the large function room and living quarters run directly from the main lobby – an intact inter-war interior – Robert Mee was licensee for 21 years until he retired March 2000, but still uses the pub – listing declined 3/00 – very close to NI – original layout but some losses, two fireplaces, modern bar replaced hatch”
“There have been several changes here recently. The terazzo floor in the bar has been covered overwith modern wooden flooring. I think the bar counter has been replaced but the service to the lobby and tragically the canted counter in the lounge has been renewed. The floor plan is intact retaining bench seating and the pub is still RI.” (JT)
I think owned by Wolverhampton & Dudley now (formerly Mansfield) . Rebuilt 1928 by Home Brewery. Excellent prominent exterior with green faience frontage and timbered upper floors. Displays the pub name in two places in tiles on the faience; on the corner, a ‘white swan’ panel of pictorial tiles; good original leaded windows all round, including a ‘swan’ in one of the first floor windows. Very good interior, unaltered structurally, though with a few tacky alterations over the years. The layout of lobby and four rooms off is unusual for Nottingham. Good central lobby with staircase, original doors to the rooms, and “battened” type panelling with plaster infills (name for this?). Front-right, a lounge with plush benches, modern fireplace and servery; front-left, a separate snug-lounge with plush benches, organ, green marble-topped tables, but no bell-pushes or fireplace; rear-right, bar with terrazzo floor (now covered over in bar), benches and no fireplace; rear-left, a plain separate room used for pool. The counter has been replaced in the bar, also modern in the lobby and front lounge; bar-back area is messy: original boarding with tatty modern additions, but an old cupboard in the bar. (Single handpump with a guest beer in the bar.)” S Peck “The old cantilevered lounge counter is a sad loss.” (JMT 11/6)