Details
CROSBY
SJ39NW EAST STREET
778-1/0/0 (Southwest side)
05-MAR-10 45
The Volunteer Canteen
II
Public house, formerly a house of c.1820s converted into a public house c.1871, remodelled in 1924. Rendered brick (painted cream), stone dressings (painted green), slate roof, end stacks, 2-storeys plus attic.
PLAN: Terraced building situated on a quiet residential back street. Central entrance vestibule leading to corridor with snug lounge off to left through wide arch, servery to right. Public bar to right side of building with separate entrance. Rear lobby accessing both bars and toilets, stair to first floor accommodation and rear right range.
EXTERIOR: Front (north-east) elevation: Facing East Street, 3-bays. Ground floor remodelled in 1924, projects very slightly with central doorway (snug lounge entrance) with tall surround (painted green) and two black and gold lanterns, red oval plaque to top centre of surround above door with gold relief lettering reading 'D H LTD', door with single panel to lower part and 12-pane etched glazing to upper part, overlight above. Door flanked by two wide 6-light windows with etched and frosted glass lower lights (all with etched glass borders), top left light to each window now replaced with a vent. Left window contains the words 'HIGSON'S' to the centre light set within a frosted scroll, each outside light contains a shield with three boars' heads and the words 'TRADE MARK EXCELLENCE' on separate small scrolled banners. Right window contains large scroll motifs with words reading 'HIGSON'S' to left light and 'ALES' to centre light. Right window incorporates slender door (public bar entrance) to right side with single panel to lower part and 8-pane etched glazing to upper part in same style as that to centre. Panelling below each window with central circular panel flanked by rectangular panels with curved inside edges (painted green). Floating cornice above windows and door. First floor and outer edges of ground floor in roughcast render. Large nameplate (painted red) to first floor centre above main entrance with gold lettering reading 'THE VOLUNTEER CANTEEN' with Higsons' crest (green shield with 3 boars' heads in gold) above flanked by the date 1924 (all in relief), console-supported sill below and cornice above with a raised head (painted green). 6-over-6 sash windows with painted moulded classical-style surrounds to outside bays. Hanging pictorial sign to far left of first floor. Right (north-west) side elevation: Later inserted window to gable apex, gable end previously attached to a now demolished c.1840 Methodist Chapel (later a concert hall, cinema, and garage). Rear elevation: Mixture of render and exposed brick, single-storey range projects to left side, small later single-storey flat-roofed extension to right of elevation (containing ladies toilets, probably added in 1924), narrow rear yard in between. Altered detached outbuilding/garage to south-east corner is not of special interest.
INTERIOR: 1924 interior scheme. Small entrance vestibule off main central entrance with coloured patterned tesserae floor and partly glazed panelled inner door with overlight with diamond-patterned glazing bars. Wall panelling and plain moulded cornicing to corridor behind, servery to right behind a partly glazed panelled screen with an arched head and leaded glazing incorporating small diamond-shaped stained glass motifs, staff doorway to centre of screen flanked by serving hatches with scrolled supports. Corridor opened out in front of servery with a contemporary wide arch leading into the snug lounge. Lounge has plain moulded cornicing, fixed bench seating with carved rose motifs to ends, geometric patterned mirrored panel to south-west rear wall with central diamond shape mirroring that of inner door to vestibule, timber fire surround to south-east wall with a mirrored back and later inserted tiling and gas fire. Later bookshelves above seating to left of fireplace. Panelled corridor continues to small rear lobby with panelled doors incorporating etched and frosted glass panels to upper part and integral overlights; door to left reads 'LADIES', that to right reads 'GENTS'. Panelled door with etched glass border to glazed upper panel to centre rear of lobby set within screen with plain side lights and multipaned overlights, leads to stair (1924) with stick balusters of alternating width accessing first floor accommodation, and rear right single-storey range consisting of two plain rooms. Doorway to north-east side of lobby provides secondary access into public bar. Public bar has plain moulded cornicing, fixed bench seating, large curved panelled bar counter, and bar back forming rear of servery screen. Later top added to counter above original, also later pot shelf with brass supports. Later trophy cabinets to north-west wall of public bar above bench seating. 4-panel doors, architraves and chimneybreasts to first floor, fireplaces removed. Narrow winder stair to first floor front of building accesses two plain attic rooms.
HISTORY: The Volunteer Canteen is believed to have started life as a house in the 1820s. It was later converted into a public house c.1871 by Richard Waddington, beer seller, and was known as the Canteen Vaults. By 1903 the pub's name had changed to The Volunteer Canteen, which is believed to derive from the use of the former neighbouring chapel as a drill hall during the Boer War.
In 1924 the Higsons Brewery (in operation until 1985, and since re-started by former employees) carried out a major refurbishment of the ground floor exterior and the interior.
SOURCES:
Brandwood G, Davison A, & Slaughter M. 2004. Licensed to Sell: The History and Heritage of the Public House.
Lewis J R. 1996 (3rd ed.). The Birth of Waterloo. Pages 24 & 25.
Stammers M. 2006. Crosby Curiosities. Pages 52 & 55.
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Volunteer Canteen is designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity: It is a rare survival of a small late C19 urban pub with a substantially intact inter-war remodelling scheme dating to 1924
* Internal arrangements: It retains its 1924 interior plan layout
* Interior quality: The interior fixtures and fittings are of a good quality, including a panelled and glazed servery, curved bar counter, wall panelling, fixed bench seating, and doors with etched and frosted glass, and they reflect the desire of the inter-war period for a simpler and more refined interior design than that of the Victorian era
