The September 2015 Heritage Open Days included a short walking tour around some central Sheffield pubs of architectural merit.
We started at Fagans and went to the Grapes via a short stop outside the Dog and Partridge. After a refreshment break, we passed Bloo88, The Beehive, The Red Deer and The Bath Hotel before completing the walk at The Swim Inn. En route, other local heritages sights were noted.
Dating from the 1820’s,
Fagans was known as ‘The Barrel’ until the retirement, in 1985, of Joe Fagan, who was Tetleys longest serving landlord. He was succeeded by the current landlord, Tom Boulding. Tom, kindly provided some insight from his many years of experience. This three-roomed pub retains much of an early 1950s refitting and the gable end includes recent a Pete McKee project, ‘The Snog.’
We then strolled up Bailey Lane, passing STANCH, a life-size statue of a pointer dog before reaching Trippet Lane and discussing the influence of Thomas Rawson and Duncan Gilmour 2
nd. on the development of Sheffield pubs.
Thomas Rawson & Company was the first non-London brewer, to brew Porter. At one point, they employed Samuel Plimsoll (1824-98) as a £1.00/week clerk. Plimsoll is best known for his invention of the Plimsoll line which appears on shipping world-wide.
The
Grapes, dating from ~1900, is the best surviving example of a pub built by Thomas Rawson, preserving the essentials of its original layout. For example, the room on the left has many features including, tilework, fireplace, art deco ceiling light and glasswork.
The
Dog and Partridge includes one room which retains both old fixed seating and bell pushes in the wood panelling. There is also ‘DOG & PARTRIDGE GILMOURS WINDSOR ALES & STOUTS’ raised lettering on the fascia.
Duncan Gilmour 1
st. established a wine and sprit business in 1858. His son expanded the business into an empire. It is his name which can be seen in many pubs round the city, including: ‘The New Barrack,’ ‘The Rutland,’ ‘The Three Tuns’ and ‘The White Lion.’
In 1892 Gilmours took over United Breweries in Liverpool (Midland Brewery and Windsor Brewery). The company then rebranded to Gilmour’s Windsor acquiring another local brewing business, William Greaves & Co, in 1920. Thomas Rawson were taken over in 1946.
Duncan Gilmour 2
nd. died in July 1937. In 1954, Gilmour Windsor were acquired by Leeds based, Joshua Tetley and Son Ltd. when they owned 144 Sheffield pubs and 350, plus the Windsor Brewery, (Liverpool). Lady’s Bridge Brewery was wound up in 1964. The site is now occupied by Sheffield Magistrate Court.
Continuing, we passed
West Street Live. For many years, this was a Stones pub, the ‘West Street Hotel.’ The exterior is a fine example of the 1930’s fad towards ‘Brewer’s Tudor.’ To match the inter-war love of fake Tudor houses, brewers were keen to build mock Tudor pubs. At the time, they believed this style would add respectability.
Stones brewery (William Stones Ltd) was founded in 1868 and purchased by
Bass in 1968. The brewery closed in 1999 and is currently due for demolition. Stones Bitter was brewed at the Cannon Brewery from 1948. The beer’s popularity reached its peak in 1992 when it was the country’s highest selling
bitter, selling over a million
barrels. The 1994-96 “Sheffield Gold” advertising campaign was set in a steel foundry. However, it was filmed in the Czech Republic because Sheffield’s own foundries were considered to be too clean for the desired effect.
Further along West Street,
Bloo88 has a distinctive tiled exterior which celebrates a long closed Sheffield Brewery and the original name of the pub: ‘Greaves & Co. Hallamshire Hotel.’ The company was originally established as ‘Hazlehurst and Greaves’ in about 1860. In 1880, the name was changed to ‘William Greaves and Company.’ Their Norfolk Brewery sat on the hill behind Midland Station.
The
Beehive Hotel was originally two rooms, on either side of the current right building. It was opened out in the 1980’s and subsequently extended to include the next door Glossop Road Post Office when it had a spell as the ‘Foundry and Firkin.’ The original painted sign is still visible at top of building.
The first public baths in the city were opened, in 1836, on Glossop Road, following the 1832 cholera epidemic . The complex was rebuilt from 1877 to 1879 including an indoor swimming pool, a Turkish bath suite and a hairdresser. In 1898, it was bought by the city council and a ladies’ bath was added. The facade was rebuilt in 1908-1910. After a period of decline at the end of the 20
th.century and the closure of the baths, the building was largely converted to flats, with a Wetherspoons bar,
Swim Inn in the former main swimming pool area.
The
Bath Hotel stands at the sharp-angled corner of a mid-Victorian terrace and close to Glossop Road Baths – from whom the name derived. Acquired by the Burton brewers Ind Coope in 1914, it was remodelled and extended next door by them in 1931 and, except for the loss of its off-sales (hence one disused outside doorway), its layout and fittings have scarcely altered since. The lounge-snug, at the corner, is a real delight, with simply-patterned leaded windows, curving leatherette bench seating, and hole-in-the-wall serving hatch. The larger main bar has some original fitments while the angled corridor, with its service opening for stand-up drinking, is just as it ever was.
‘The Bath’ was statutorily listed in 1999 following casework by CAMRA and a sensitive refurbishment two years later (2001) won it a prestigious national Pub Conservation Award (awarded jointly by English Heritage, the Victorian Society and CAMRA). Since 2012, it has been operated by Thornbridge Brewery.
This walk will be repeated, as a Sheffield CAMRA event on Tuesday 17
th May 2016 (20:00 start @ Fagans). It will also be included in the Sheffield 2016 HOD programme.
By now you should have received an email asking you to complete a short survey, as part of our plan to increase membership involvement during 2016. If you haven’t yet completed it, don’t forget the deadline is 15th February and all entries will qualify for a prize draw to win 12 bottles of craft beer. If you aren’t on our email list you should have received a paper copy of the survey with your Pub Of The Year forms.
Please contact us as soon as possible if you haven’t received either the email or the form.
The 12 bottles of beer have been donated by our friends at Hop Hideout who have selected 12 top quality craft beers showcasing the best in modern brewing. Based on Abbeydale Road in Sheffield, (next to The Broadfield) Hop Hideout is an excellent bottle shop which also features 2 draught pumps for drinking on the premises.
Visit the website www.hophideout.co.uk for more details of their range of world beers. 
However, Sheffield City Council, who also received the applications in late June responded with a series of further questions. They have since stated that decisions will be made by 24th.October. The ten pubs are a mix of heritage, suburban, city centre and rural. Once Sheffield has ruled on these applications, we will review our position and may submit more pubs for ACV status.
Currently only two Sheffield pubs, the Castle (Bolsterstone) and the Plough (Crosspool) have ACV listing. In our wider ‘district,’ the Red Lion has joined the Angel (Spinkhill) and the Anglers Rest (Bamford). Once a pub is ACV listed, planning permission is required for any change of use or demolition.
The ACV listing scheme is open to all CAMRA branches. Each branch can use this assistance to nominate up to ten pubs/month. The branch provides basic details, then CAMRA nationally, complete the paperwork, check ownership, obtain ground plans and paid the fee. After checking the details and adding more information, the branch then submits the completed documentation to the appropriate Local Authority. Four workshops are planned for CAMRA branches.
These will discuss how to access CAMRA’s Support Service and will also hear from other Branches leading the way with ACV nominations. Sheffield CAMRA will be represented at the first workshop which is in Manchester on 3rd. October.
Nationally, Communities Pubs Minister Marcus Jones has presented the first ‘Badge of Honour’ to an ACV-listed pub. To date, more than 800 pubs have achieved ACV status. The first new badge – declaring ‘This Pub Matters’ – was presented to Tina Massie of The Red Lion, Knotty Green, Buckinghamshire, at the recent Great British Beer Festival which was held, in London, at Olympia. The initiative is a joint venture between the Campaign for Real Ale and the Department for Communities & Local Government.
More information is available at:
Additionally, unique to the Good Beer Guide, it also features a section listing all the current breweries in Britain producing real ale with details of their regular beers.
Copies can be ordered through the CAMRA online shop (follow link from www.camra.org.uk) as well as the usual book outlets. Additionally we will have a limited stock to sell at our October branch meetings with a members discount. 
