Further reading

A brief bibliography to some of the most important books and papers covering the topic of pub interiors, including architechure, design, conservation, repair and sympathetic refurbishment, as well as cultural and social factors that have influenced the development of the pub.

Thanks to Michael Slaughter, the photographer for Licensed to Sell, for his help in compiling the information on this page.

Licensed to Sell

Licensed to Sell The History and Heritage of the Public House by Geoff Brandwood, Andrew Davison and Michael Slaughter (2nd edition, English Heritage, 2011).

Authored by members of CAMRA's Pub Heritage Group, this is the definitive volume on the development of the British pub. It explains how pubs took their present form, especially where it matters - the interior. The well-researched but eminently readable text is supplemented by many sumptuous photos. This new edition brings the story right up to date. Available from the CAMRA bookshop.

Public House in Bradford

The Public House in Bradford, 1770 - 1970 by Paul Jennings (Keele University Press, 1995). Paul Jennings, Historian and Course Leader for the Local & Regional Studies Programme at the University of Bradford, looks at how the pub has evolved from the coaching inn and the humble alehouse, through back-street beerhouses and 'fine flaring' gin palaces to the drinking establishments of the 21st century.

The Renaissance of the English Public House

The Renaissance of the English Public House by Basil Oliver (Faber and Faber, 1947), contains a wealth of information on inter-war pub design.

The Northumbrian Pub

The Northumbrian Pub: an Architectural History by Lynn Perason (Sandhill Press, 1989). An important study of pubs in the North East with details of their architects, plans and decorative features.

Birmingham Pubs 1880 - 1939

Birmingham Pubs 1880 - 1939 by Alan Crawford, Michael Dunn and Robert Thorne (Alan Sutton 1986).

Victorian Pubs

Victorian Pubs, by Mark Girouard (Yale University Press, 1984).

A classic book dealing especially with London but which gives an excellent overview of pub building in its golden age - the late nineteenth-century. He explains how interiors evolved, how they were furnished and equipped, and who the architects and designers were. All this is set within the broader context of social and political history.

People's Palaces

People's Palaces: Victorian and Edwardian Pubs of Scotland by Rudolph Kenna and Anthony Mooney (Edinburgh, 1983). A classic book dealing with the pubs of Scotland in the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

Back to the Local

Back to the Local by Maurice Gorham (Marshall, 1949, reprinted Faber & Faber, 2007). A recently reprinted classic about London pubs just after the war. It's a delightful read, hugely informative and has atmospheric illustrations by artist Edward Ardizzone.

Inside the Pub

Inside the Pub by Maurice Gorham and H McG Dunnett (Architectural Press, 1950). A landmark survey of the state of pub interior design, and a classic work about the history, architecture and design of the British pub.

The Traditional English Pub

The Traditional English Pub: a Way of Drinking by Ben Davis (Architectural Press, 1981)

 The English Alehouse

The English Alehouse: A Social History 1200 - 1830 by Peter Clark (Longman, 1983).

Peter Clark traces the development of the English alehouse from rather rudimentary beginnings to their emergence as a fully-fledged institution in the sixteenth century.