Pitcher & Piano, Nottingham

Built in 1876 as a Unitarian Chapel to a Gothic Revival-style design by Bristol architect Stuart Colman, the Pitcher & Piano is a Grade II Listed Building [No. 1247635]. Later a lace industry museum and exhibition centre (Historic England).

Historic England's listing entry reads: "Rockfaced stone, with ashlar dressings and slate roofs. PLAN: symmetrical plan with chancel, vestry, nave and clerestory, transepts, aisles and west tower with spire. EXTERIOR: Plinth, sill bands, string courses, coped gables. West end gables have angle buttresses. Windows have pointed arches; the main windows have hood moulds. Chancel, single bay, has a 2-light window and small vestry to south. Large traceried east window, 7-lights. Clerestory has on each side 3 graduated triple lancets set in relieving arches with polychrome brickwork heads. At West end, a single lancet. Transepts have a 4-light window in each gable. Aisles have 3 plain double lancets, and at the West end , a 3-light window with a triple opening above. West tower, 3 stages, has angle buttresses topped with spire pinnacles. Enriched West doorway, and above it a traceried blind arcade. Upper stage has a tall single lancet on each side, and to West, a patterned gable with a traceried round window. Bell stage has on each side, 2 pointed arched double openings. Above an octagonal turret with 4 pointed arched openings, topped with an octagonal spire. INTERIOR: Rendered, has a late C20 mezzanine floor, exhibition rooms and showcases. Chancel has an arch with responds and a panelled pointed arched roof. Stained glass East window 1904, by Morris & Co, to designs by Burne-Jones and JH Dearle. South side has an arch containing a stone screen. Nave has similar roof, with wall shafts detached from the piers. Arcades, 3 bays, have round piers and various arches with hood moulds. Tall tower arch set between square buttresses, with a stone screen containing a pointed arched door under a gable. On either side, a narrow arch with a doorway. Double West door with central pier. Transepts have moulded arches with responds, and wagon roofs. North transept North window 1890, by H. Enfield, East window late C19. South transept has a stained glass South window late C19 and to East and arch with a wooden organ gallery. Aisles have king post roofs, and arches at each end. North aisle has war memorial window, 1925, Kempe & Co,stained glass window 1905 and a Sunday School memorial window, 1906, by H Holiday. South aisle has stained glass windows late C19 and c1931. Fittings include a rectangular ashlar pulpit with blind arcade and alabastar shafts. Memorials include a round-arched blind arcaded panel with names of ministers" (The Buildings of England; Pevsner N: Nottinghamshire; London 1979 - 224-225 / Historic England).

By 1997, the former church had ceased to be The Lace Hall museum and had been acquired by Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries, who sought consent for the conversion of existing Grade II listed church to a licensed cafe/bar for A3 use. Works to include new internal construction and associated fitting out works (97/00953/PFUL3 & 97/00954/LLIS1). Drawings by The Design Solution of London at this time refer to the name Pitcher & Piano, though the local authority documents refer to the Former Lace Hall.

As at November 2017, the freehold for the Pitcher & Piano (NT159303) was held by NOTTINGHAM CITY COUNCIL. At the same time, the leasehold for the Pitcher & Piano (NT504966) was held by MARSTON'S ESTATES LIMITED (Reg. No. 466771). A further Leasehold (NT208119) was held by UK LONG LEASE PROPERTY NOMINEE 1 LIMITED (Reg. No. 8293686) and UK LONG LEASE PROPERTY NOMINEE 2 LIMITED (Reg. No. 8294227), both of 155 Bishopsgate, London.

[Nottingham City Council; Bridge Ward / Nottingham South Parliamentary Constituency]