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Three Star Heritage Pubs
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 Greater Manchester, ROYAL OAK HOTEL, Oldham. The Royal Oak sadly closed on the 24th November after landlord Dave Sweeney, who has run the pub for 15 years, was given short notice by owners Inglenook Inns - who have sold to an undisclosed party. This is very concerning and was shocking news for both Mr Sweeney and the local community – who are now preparing an Asset of Community Value application. We do not yet know who the new owners are or of their intentions for the pub. It is grade II listed and has strong community support, so any application for change of use should not be straightforward. See: Oldham Chronicle . Thanks to Vivienne Cooper, Markus Sorsa and Roger Corbett for alerting us.
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 Devon, DREWE ARMS, Drewsteignton. On a more positive note, we can report that the community fundraising campaign to buy the famous Devon pub has succeeded! The share offer closed on the 12th November having raised a phenomenal £552,875 from 508 community shareholders. Having been closed since September 2021, the long-term future of the pub now seems secure. The purchase should be completed by the end of the month and the intention is to reopen in March next year. A fantastic achievement and our congratulations to all involved. For more information on the project go to: Drewe Arms Community Pub .
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 Lincolnshire, BERKELEY HOTEL, Scunthorpe. Ben Wilkinson reports the very welcome news that the Berkeley has reopened. Owned by Sam Smith’s, this great 1940s roadhouse has had a chequered recent history, going through a number of short-lived managers before finally closing in April 2019. Let’s hope this reopening is on a firmer footing.
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 Derbyshire, CROWN, Glossop. More good news to report on another Sam Smith’s owned pub is that the Crown has also reopened this month. It was closed in August following the retirement of the previous licensee.
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 East Sussex, PRINCE ALBERT, Brighton. We reported in December last year that the Prince Albert, a popular music pub, was under threat due to a neighbouring development. The worry being that this would result in noise complaints from the new neighbours, as is often the case. Following an energetic campaign by the local community (including support from local celeb Fat Boy Slim), the plans have been thrown out by the council. A great relief for the pub and a victory for the community. See: Morning Advertiser .
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 West Wales, CRESSELLY ARMS, Creswell Quay. This delightful riverside pub opened as a pub in the 1880s and was run by the same family from 1896 until 1981. It is owned by the Cresselly Estate and there have been very few changes to its simple Victorian interior since opening. Consequently it has been upgraded to Three Star.
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Two Star Heritage Pubs
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 Hampshire, WOODIES AT THE JUNCTION, Southampton. We reported in the September bulletin that the Junction was due to be reopened by Woodies Wine Bar. Chris Witt has visited and reports generally positively about the refurbishment, which has given it a more contemporary look. The bar back has been restored to its original state, although now painted slate black. But some of the internal screens have been removed and the frosted windows that proclaimed the bar areas have been replaced with new branded ones. Its two-star status may need re-assessment.
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 Northern Ireland, Mc MULLAN’S CENTRAL BAR, Cushendall. Originally built c.1850 and listed B1, Mc Mullan’s Bar has been upgraded to two star for its spectacular seven bay bar back that probably dates back to a refit of 1881.
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 Suffolk, CROWN, Snape. We reported in August that the Crown was due to re-open as a pub and Italian restaurant. Tony Green reports that it is now due to reopen 1st December after a major refurbishment. It is grade II listed and has a particularly fine snug made of high-backed settles. Any updates following opening welcome.
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One Star Heritage Pubs
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 North Yorkshire, MAGNET, York. Dave Gamston reports the sad news that the Magnet, which was the best preserved 1930’s ‘Improved Public House’ in York has been demolished. We reported in March 2021 on this long running battle by the community and York CAMRA to save it. The pub has been shut since 2018 and left to deteriorate by the owners, property developers Moorside, who intend to build houses on the site. Following three unsuccessful applications to demolish it Moorside then lodged an appeal against the last council decision in April this year. That appeal was upheld by the planning inspector who questioned the heritage value of the pub and reasoned that it had now become unviable due to the dilapidated state of the building – the responsibility of the owners! This leaves many in York including York Civic Trust and Osbaldwick Parish Council deeply disappointed by the decision. See: York Press.
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Cheshire, RING o’BELLS, Lower Stretton. We reported in July that the Ring o’ Bells had been sold to a developer and the tenants had been given notice to quit. We understand that the pub had been operating successfully. An application for change of use has now been submitted to the council for change to Class E – which consist of a wide range of activities including offices, shops, restaurants, health facilities, indoor sports. Paul Ainsworth is liaising with the local CAMRA branch to make an objection. Thanks to Andrew Instone-Cowie for alerting us.
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Following a recent visit to Wales, Mick Slaughter reports the following restrictive opening hours to be aware of for the following Two Star pubs and other interesting snippets:
Mid Wales, LION ROYAL HOTEL, Rhayader. Firstly, the good news - The Lion Royal Hotel, in Rhayader now opens the small bar at the rear, unchanged since 1921 on every Friday night from about 6pm; also on a Saturday night when there are guests stopping the night. Their website quotes an ‘Office’ phone number of 01597 810121, which is owner Jane Collard’s other business contact number, and a call can be made to check if the bar is likely to be open on a particular Saturday. No real ale unfortunately.
West Wales, NEW CROSS, Court St. Henry. This pub attached to a farm is always open on a Sunday lunchtime from 12 to 3 when Sunday Lunch is being sold in the dining room. The occasions the pub is open on a Saturday night are now few - again, it is always worth ringing the pub’s number of 01558 668276 to ask. It has one tiny bar barely changed since it opened in 1909 - on 18th March as an invitation to the opening is in a frame on the mantle shelf! No real ale unfortunately.
North West Wales, PEN-Y-GWRYD HOTEL, Nant Gwyant. This famous hotel is situated in the heart of Snowdonia and was used by the team who made the first ascent of Everest. The amazing Austrian alpine-style log-lined Everest Room is unchanged since the 1950s but can now only be found open to the public on Friday and Saturday from 11am to 11pm. Worth checking their website prior to setting off for a visit: Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel . Purple Moose real ales.
Gwent, WATERLOO HOTEL, Newport. The Waterloo Hotel is not currently open to the public as it is housing asylum seekers. It is situated opposite the Transporter Bridge, one of only three surviving in the country, which is also not operating at present! The new owners of the hotel do plan to reopen the bar with its amazing ceramic and tiled bar counter.
If anyone is aware of a Real Heritage Pub with much changed opening hours, please send us an email, but better still – send an update notification via WhatPub .
Other Items of Interest
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 West Wales, RED LION, Llandovery. Closed since 2016, this celebrated time warp town pub, which was previously included on the National Inventory, is to be auctioned with a guide price of £75,000. See: Wales Online. There is hope locally that a sympathetic buyer can be found to restore the pub to its former glory. Having been in the Rees family since 1871 the pub closed when landlord John Rees moved into a care home. John sadly died earlier this year. A tribute to John, which is well worth reading to get a flavour of life at ‘the Red’, was published in the South Wales Guardian: South Wales Guardian.
Details of the auction, which is due to be held on line on December the 10th , with pictures of the now dilapidated interior, can be found here: Seel & Co.
The Heritage Pubs of Dudley It’s nice to see an article celebrating our heritage pubs so effusively - Milo Boyd of the Mirror has been exploring the heritage pubs of Dudley in the West Midlands, which has the most Three Star Heritage Pubs per head of population in the country! See: The Mirror .
If you have any news on our Heritage Pubs please send updates to: info@pubheritage.camra.org.uk .
Please feel free to forward this bulletin to your friends who are also interested in visiting pubs like these - if they wish to receive future bulletins direct all they have to do is sign up by sending an email to bulletin@pubheritage.camra.org.uk with the word “subscribe” as the subject or “unsubscribe” if you wish to stop receiving bulletins.
Tom Chapman
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