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11-13 April 2025
23 Haltwhistle Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5ZA
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Large basic traditional pub on the edge of the shopping area. No real ale in April 2019.
Historic Interest
Listed in Bagshaw’s Directory of 1850, it was a Birkenhead Brewery pub, bought by Higsons in 1892. Selling Higsons Bitter and Mild in 1980 and later selling an extensive range of real ales by handump. The old exterior photos were taken in 1981 and 1989 with the interior shots in 1992. The much older photo is from 1911.
Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance
Listed status: II
Nowadays this is a basic drinking pub but, architecturally, it is a notable example of a pub with the typical late 19th-century Merseyside plan of a corridor wrapping round a corner-site public bar but with an interesting twist – that twist being a remarkable glazed and gilded inscription running across the left-hand wall of the bar and returning along the length of the bar-back. It’s a forthright advertisement for ‘D. Higson Wine & Spirit Merchant, Brewer, Cheapside Brewery Liverpool’. Even apart from this, the bar-back itself is an impressive feature, with a broad pediment which includes a (replacement) clock. The side entrance leads to a corridor backing the servery. It has a serving hatch plus a room opening on the right. To the left of the servery is large room (now used for pool) which has the kind of wide opening that characterises other Merseyside pubs (e.g. Primrose, Liscard, and Volunteer Canteen, Waterloo. Note the match strikers on the counter from former, smokier days. The dark red tiling on the ground-floor exterior is noteworthy.
Large Victorian 3 storey corner pub with a glazed stone frontage and mosaic 'Crown Hotel' floor in the left hand door. Has a layout similar to the Stork and the Lion, but much plainer. The bare boarded vault and servery are separated from the other parts by an L-shaped corridor. The bar on the corner is dominated by a spectacular mirrored bar-back with carved pillars and decorative capitals, with a central pediment with carved wood decoration and clock; what makes it particularly special is a glazed gold-coloured fascia, starting on the left-hand wall and running along the bar-back, with decoration and elaborate lettering which reads: 'D.HIGSON. WINE MERCHANT & SPIRIT MERCHANT.' (on the return) and 'BREWER. CHEAPSIDE BREWERY. LIVERPOOL' on the bar back fitting. Higsons occupied the Cheapside site until 1912. Having a fitting under which customers can walk is a very rare feature in a pub. There is also a massive original bar counter with match strikers on the bar front and an original water tap on the left end of the bar counter top. There is some original fixed seating on the front wall side. The corner entrance is now blocked up and there was a small snug on the right now combined with the public bar - look for the markings on the counter to indicate where the partition was situated until removed in the 1970s.
To the left of the servery is large room (now used for pool) which has the kind of wide opening that characterises other Merseyside pubs (e.g. Primrose, Liscard; Guest House, Southport; and Volunteer Canteen, Waterloo). This room retains original Victorian benches all round with carved bench ends, bell pushes in a wood panel above but the brick and part marble fireplace is more recent. The rear passage has a small square hatch, and off the corridor at the back is a separate snug with original Victorian benches all round. Pub is getting a bit scruffy and would benefit from some attention.
Crown, Birkenhead
Real Heritage Pub
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