Since 1983 CAMRA nationally have presented their Pub Design Awards. These annual awards are held in conjunction with Historic England and recognise the highest standards of architecture in the refurbishment and conservation of existing pubs as well as in the construction of new ones. They are judged by a panel of experts in design and conservation.
Locally, the following pubs in our Branch area have achieved awards:
- 2020 Refurbishment (Joint Winner): Blind Bull, Little Hucklow
- 2019 Refurbishment (Shortlisted): Blind Monkey, Walkley
- 2016 Refurbishment (Highly Commended): Ship Inn, Kelham Island
- 2010 Best Conversion to Pub Use (Winner): Sheffield Tap, City Centre
- 2002 Conservation Award (Winner): Bath Hotel, City Centre
- 2000 English Heritage Conservation Award (Highly Commended): Hillsborough Hotel, Hillsborough
A full list of awards nationally is available.
Blind Monkey
A former Tetley house, the Blind Monkey reopened in spring 2018 after a period of closure and deterioration. Dating back to 1846, the building was originally a small village shop that sold bottled beer that could be refilled once the bottle was returned. It later became a pub. Over the years, it was opened out from smaller rooms into an open-plan design.
Now multi-roomed, the pub has an array of reclaimed light fittings sourced from as far as Bombay to as near as Manchester. Apart from a few barely noticeable areas, the vast majority of materials used have being reclaimed items mostly dating back to the Edwardian and Victorian periods. In 2019, this renovation work was short-listed in the CAMRA/Heritage England Pub Design Awards: Refurbishment category.
Sheffield Tap
The old first class refreshment room was originally built by the Midland Railway (company architect, Charles Trubshaw) as part of their 1905 station extension and adorned inside with Minton tiled walls and fine ornamented bar fittings. The rooms became disused in the 1960s, becoming a waiting room in the 1970s. It was locked-up in 1976. The listed interior was left to decay until 2008 when restoration began. The Sheffield Tap re-opened in 2009 following a comprehensive overhaul in which the tiling, terrazzo floor, parts of the bar fittings and other joinery were beautifully restored, while items beyond repair were carefully replaced or replicated, including the entire coved and sky-lighted ceiling. In 2010, the Tap won the National Publican Food and Drinks Award Cask Pub of the Year, the Modern Railways Restoration Award and a CAMRA/Heritage England Pub Design Award (Best Conversion to Pub Use).
Bath Hotel
The Bath Hotel is an unusually complete example of a Sheffield corner public house, which retains, in almost complete form, the 1931 plan and fittings. The pub was refurbished in late 2001. The work is a model of its kind: it won the CAMRA/ Heritage England 2002 Pub Design Award for Conservation. The place was cleaned and decorated, the green paint stripped off some of the tiles in the corridor and everything brought back to pristine order. In addition, the floor in the larger bar was re-laid with new diamond shaped brown and cream tiles, the previous tiled floor having become unsound.
Hillsborough Hotel
The Hillsborough Hotel closed in early 2020. Planning permission was obtained the following October to convert the building into a House of Multiple occupation (HMO). The building has a distinctive Gilmours doorstep and some original Gilmours windows. In addition, on closure, above the door were two original Wellington Inn windows and some distinctive tilework. The name change occurred when the pub was bought by Del Tilling in August 1998. It reopened as the Hillsborough Hotel the following May.
In the 1960s, the space on the left was a Billiard Room . Subsequent changes saw a shrinking and reconfiguration of the bar area and an added kitchen. 2002 brought the creation of the rear breakfast room/conservatory in an area which was previously a car park.
The Hillsborough Hotel was Highly Commended in the year 2000 CAMRA Pub Design Awards: Heritage England Conservation Award. It was also home for the Crown (2001-4, 2006-12), Wellington (2004-6) and Wood Street (2012-15) Breweries.
Dave Pickersgill