Assembly House

When it opened in 1898 this pub epitomised the grand, luxurious kind of establishment that was the hallmark of the great pub boom. The architects were Thorpe & Furniss. They provided an ambitious design outside in the Flemish Renaissance style which boasts a tourelle on the corner. There is ornate ironwork, polished stone facing on the ground floor and a series of prominent dormer windows. The interior has undergone a pretty comprehensive modernisation yet there is still a lot of historic work to enjoy. You can still appreciate that the multiple entrances would have given access to a compartmentalised interior of the kind the Victorians liked. Even today, the front part (completely gutted) feels physically separated from the back.

The best feature is the survival in the rear parts of one of the most elaborate panel-and-mirror displays anywhere. Set in tall rectangular panels are etched and cut mirrors with birds, foliage, swags and other decorative devices (note that a couple of large panels are later replacements – they lack the brilliant cutting of the Victorian originals). The surviving bar-back, a tall, delicate piece, has similar work and is further embellished with touches of gilding. Other things to note are the lavish ceiling, cast-iron columns and the back room which has a large skylight to what was originally a billiard room.