British wartime pubs get listed status

A total of 19 British pubs built during the First and Second World Wars have been granted listed status by the UK government following a project by Historic England to identify and protect inter-war pubs.

The Royal Oak in Hoxton, built in 1923

The new listings follow Historic England’s work into identifying best surviving examples of pubs built between the First and Second World Wars. Around 3,000 pubs were built during this time (1918-1939) but very few are still standing as pubs today.

Of the 21 listed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, six are old Truman’s Brewery pubs including The Royal Oak, The Rose and Crown, the Golden Heart, The Stag’s Head, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Station.

James Morgan, CEO of Truman’s Brewery said: “We are delighted that Historic England have recognised the value of these amazing pubs. Truman’s built palaces for the people, a home away from home, for all to enjoy. They are pinnacles of an era, which inspire us as a business to this day, and will now never be forgotten thanks to their hard work.”

During the inter-war period Truman’s built over 150 pubs across England, many designed by the celebrated architect A E Sewell. Among them was the  Royal Oak near the famous Columbia Road Flower market in Hoxton, known as an “early pub” because it serves market traders from 9am on Sundays. Buit in 1923, it is a sought-after filming location and was used as the backdrop in the BBC’s Goodnight Sweetheart and British gangster film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

The pubs, most listed at Grade II and one upgraded to II*, are much loved local landmarks shaped by the “improved pub” movement that followed the First World War. Between 1918 and 1939 breweries across the country rebuilt thousands of pubs, spurred on by the need to appeal beyond their usual male clientele and leave behind the image of drunkenness associated with Victorian and Edwardian pubs.

Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch said: “These inter-war pubs are more than a slice of living history, they play an intrinsic role in English culture and our local communities. I’m delighted that these pubs and their fascinating history have been protected for generations to enjoy for years to come.”

Other pubs to gain listed status include The Black Horse in Birmingham, built in 1929, the Berkeley hotel in Scunthorpe, built in 1940, and the Duke William in Stoke-on-Trent, rebuilt in 1929.

Emily Gee, Head of Listing at Historic England said: “This national project, the first of its kind, has surveyed the increasingly threatened and much loved inter-war public house, allowing us to identify, understand and protect the most special examples. And what better way to champion the best of our locals than by raising a pint glass to these architectural beacons of English community life now celebrated on the National Heritage List.”

The Black Horse in Birmingham
The Golden Heart in Spitalfields, built in 1936
The Rose and Crown in Stoke Newington, built in 1930