Details

Written by Graham Murray

Category: Pub Conversions and Restorations

Published: 24 October 2021

• Dr Duncans
• North Western
• Old Bank James St

CAMRA is dedicated to supporting pubs, as well as promoting best-quality beers and ciders. In particular, we are widely regarded for our work on identifying and helping to protect the UK’s most important heritage pubs through the compilation of our “Inventories of Pubs with Historic Interiors” – the most precious survivors.

CAMRA defines heritage pubs as those that are wholly or mostly unchanged or retain important historic rooms or features from before 1970. Since then, huge numbers of pubs have been expertly refurbished, and many have been established in buildings previously used for other purposes. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of new pubs in both urban and rural locations are really good and deserve to be recognised and applauded.

CAMRA have, therefore, begun a project to identify, preserve and protect pubs that are Outstanding Conversions and Restorations (OCR). These include: -

1. The best examples of pub owners taking care to present a pub for modern times whilst respecting the origins of the building in which it is located.
2. The best examples of pub owners who have taken care to re-fashion a pub so that it has a genuinely historical feel and/or has a design to admire.

All pubs included have that essential quality of, well, pubbiness.

Why is CAMRA doing this?

1. To raise awareness of examples of outstanding pub conversions and restorations, thus stimulating interest in visiting and enjoying them.
2. To inspire pub owners and others to pursue excellence when converting or restoring buildings for pub use.
3. To establish yardsticks against which future pub conversions and restorations can be judged.
4. To help protect identified pubs from unsympathetic changes.
5. To contribute to CAMRA's wider objective of generating enthusiasm for pub-going.

CAMRA runs a competition, the Pub Design Awards, to recognise the best in new and refurbished pub design each year.

In the Liverpool & Districts Branch area 3 pubs have so far been identified as worthy of listing

North Western

This was originally the luxurious North Western Hotel with 330 rooms, opened in 1871 and built to serve Lime Street station. Its impressive architecture is now Grade II listed. It closed in the 1930s and remained empty until 1996, when upper floors became halls of residence and the ground floor a pub. Wetherspoon’s reopened in 2015 after a major refurbishment which retains the grandeur of the original building, including much wood panelling. The high-quality work is complemented with plaques, posters, old photographs, and railway memorabilia.

Visit: https://whatpub.com/pubs/MER/61/north-western-liverpool

 

 

Old Bank (Unfortunately no longer selling real ale)

A spectacular building from around 1920 that was a branch of the National Bank. it was relaunched in 2018 as a stylish bar making enterprising use of a fine space. There is an island bar, tiled dance floor and sectioned ceiling held up by marble columns with decorative capitals. The seating is in the former banking hall and on a mezzanine, with some drinking booths.

Visit: https://whatpub.com/pubs/MER/558/old-bank-liverpool

 

There are four categories of OCR pubs to denote the type or previous use of the building: Conversion; Restoration; New Build; Museum.

 

You can find out more about the project and see the full National Listing by visiting: https://ocrpubs.camra.org.uk/

Visit and enjoy as many as you can. This is a live project so if you know of any other pubs that you think should be included as outstanding conversions or restorations, please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

The following form can also be filled in emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Pub_Design_Award_Submission_Template.docx19.12 KB24/10/2021, 12:48

 

Graham Murray, Pubs Preservation Officer