Kings Arms

A textbook example of how a pub can undergo enormous enlargement without seriously compromising its historic core. This consists of the time-worn, wood-panelled arrangement of corridor entrance, servery with tiny snug (left) and front bar (right). Development around these spaces began in the early 1960s under landlord David Kerr who recycled items from demolished historic buildings, for example Heath Old Hall (demolished 1961) which provided the stone sections for fireplaces in the lounge (right) with the oak panelling coming from an Elizabethan mansion. He carved the coats of arms over the fireplaces in the 1980s when the old kitchen was brought into public use. Expansion continued into adjoining domestic accommodation, stabling and barn, as well as spawning a huge conservatory. There are over 30 working gaslights – most of them modern, but possibly the largest number in any UK pub.