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Riviera Centre, Torquay
11-13 April 2025
One of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world.
Units 3-5, Heathfield Industrial Estate, Heathfield Street, Elland, HX5 9AE
Westgate Brewery, Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1QT
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A visitor reports - "A visit on Friday evening (03/02/23) revealed: Salopian - Shropshire Gold, Fullers - London Pride, Vocation - Heart & Soul, Willy - Crafty Fox. However, all the pumps were adorned with 'Coming Soon' tags. If they can't get a cask beer up and running at this time of the week, are these pumps permanently tagged thus?"
Built in 1875, the year Alexandra Palace opened. It became the Starting Gate in 1858 when a racecourse was started in Alexandra Park. Much of the interior dates from an 1899 refit, including partitions radiating from the island bar, the different bits served by six external doors. Modern side room with pizza oven. Now M&B, ex-Allied, Spirit, Orchid. Additional info on a recent visit we found Doom Bar as well as Adnams Herbalist, Redemption Pale and Trinity.
Historic Interest
Grade II listed:- Public House on a corner site. Built 1875 (the same year as the opening of Alexandra Palace) as the "Palace Cafe"; a public house by 1896; refitted internally 1899 by Richard Dickenson of-St John Street, Adelphi. Yellow stock brick with red brick dressings. Public House frontage with paired pink granite pilasters on a black granite plinth. 6 windows, 1 Window to chamfered angle and 2 windows to St Michael's Street. 3 storeys and cellars. Each street with a depressed arch entrance to recessed doorway with double-panelled and part-glazed doors flanked by panelled and engraved glass screens. Windows have round-arched glazing and top panels of geometric pattern. Fascia with cornice. Upper floors have rusticated brick strips at angles and bays. 1st floor 2-pane sashes brick architraved with keystones and timber open pediments. 2nd floor sashes with gauged brick heads and continuous brick dentil cornice sill band. similar cornice above to coped parapet. To left a lower 2-storey, 3-window extension with late C19 shopfront and central pedimented chimney breast rising through upper floors. Roundel on chimney breast dated 1875. Interior has cast iron columns with capitals and many original features including screens with engraved glass, part of a snob screen, chimney pieces and an overmantle, lincrusta decoration and a series of framed panels containing water-colour paintings, mostly pastoral views but one of Alexandra Palace. Originally known as the Alexandra Palace Hotel, it became the Alexandra Palace and Railway Hotel when the Great Eastern Railway station was opened in 1906 and in 1958, when a racecourse was opened at the bottom of the southern slopes, the Starting Gate.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: II
Considerable vestiges of this pub’s rich, late-Victorian furnishings remain, having been refitted by Richard Dickenson of St John Street, Adelphi, in 1899. Inside is a central servery from which compartments once radiated and the six outside doors show these were numerous and therefore small. Inside is a central servery from which compartments once radiated and the six outside doors show these were numerous and therefore small. The surviving screen panels are formed of timber and etched glass, the latter embellished with the small birds and swirling foliage. The panelled oak bar counter is Victorian as are the mirrors in the central stillion (although the structure itself is modern). The timber arch above, however, is Victorian, and spans two mighty, fluted cast-iron Corinthian columns. Another item of interest is the mosaic flooring marking out a former corridor leading from the St Michael’s Terrace entrance. You will also find a well preserved bank of snob screens sitting on the counter.
Now a modern-atmosphere eating and drinking establishment, some considerable vestiges of this pub’s rich, late-Victorian furnishings remain. Interestingly, this pub didn’t start life as a pub but as the Palace Café, opened in 1875, the same year as Alexandra Palace. It turned into a pub by 1896 and was refitted by Richard Dickenson of St John Street, Adelphi, in 1899 – no doubt the date of much of what we see today. Inside is a central servery from which compartments once radiated and the six outside doors show these were numerous and therefore small. The surviving screen panels are formed of timber and etched glass, the latter embellished with the small birds and swirling foliage that never failed to delight late-Victorian pub owners and customers. The panelled oak bar counter is Victorian as are the mirrors in the central stillion (although the structure itself is modern). The timber arch above, however, is Victorian, and spans two mighty, fluted cast-iron Corinthian columns. Another item of interest is the mosaic flooring marking out a former corridor leading from the St Michael’s Terrace entrance. You will also find a well preserved bank of snob screens sitting on the counter.
Other Heritage Pubs with snob screens are Bartons Arms, Aston, Birmingham; Prince Alfred, London W9; Lamb, London WC1; Posada, Wolverhampton , West Midlands; Bunch of Grapes, London SW3; Crown, London N1; and Crown & Greyhound, London SE21 but these have been moved.
This Pub serves 3 changing beers and 1 regular beer.
Starting Gate, Wood Green
Source: National
Sports TV
Lunchtime Meals
Evening Meals
Family Friendly
Disabled Access
Smoking
Wi Fi
Real Ale
Real Heritage Pub
Cask Marque
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