Stanley Arms, Eccles

Summary

Public house, late-C19, remodelled c1910. Red brick, slate roof, 3-storeys. Incorporates an attached 2-storey, late-C19 former terraced house

Reasons for Designation

The Stanley Arms, Eccles is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Rarity: it is a rare survival of a simple and largely intact, traditional 'street corner local' remodelled and refurbished c1910;

* Internal arrangements: the interior retains its c1910 layout, including a reversed L-shaped drinking lobby/corridor; a regionally distinctive feature popular in Merseyside and parts of Greater Manchester;

* Interior survival: the interior retains a wealth of c1910 fixtures and fittings, including Art Nouveau-style tilework, fixed-bench seating, a bar servery with a glazed timber screen, partly-glazed panelled doors, and bell pushes.

History

The Stanley Arms is believed to have been constructed in the late-C19 and is depicted on the 1st edition 1:2500 OS map published in 1893. The pub was acquired by the Joseph Holt brewery in 1910 from Wilson's Brewery and is believed to have been altered and updated at this time. A late-C19 former terraced house, attached to the south-east side of the building, was incorporated into the pub at some point in the C20, possibly when the pub was acquired by Joseph Holt's.

Details

Public house, late-C19, remodelled c1910. Red brick, slate roof, 3-storeys. Incorporates an attached 2-storey, late-C19 former terraced house

PLAN: the Stanley Arms occupies a narrow corner position at the junction of Liverpool Road and Eliza Ann Street. Attached to the south-east end of the pub is a 2-storey former terraced house that has been incorporated internally. Internally the pub has a reverse L-shaped drinking lobby/corridor accessed off Eliza Ann Street with the bar and vault located off to the right (north-west) end of the pub, and a smoke room and toilets located off to the north-east side of the drinking corridor, with an additional room at the south-east end.

EXTERIOR: as evidenced in changes in brickwork and also styling, the majority of the ground-floor windows are believed to have possibly been altered into their present form c1910 when the pub was acquired by Joseph Holt's brewery and remodelled.

North-west elevation: the Stanley Arms has a single-bay north-west elevation facing Liverpool Road with paired windows to the ground floor sharing a painted stone sill and lintel and with chamfered jambs. Both windows have two multipaned upper lights, although one of the upper lights belonging to the left window has been replaced by plain glazing and a modern ventilator; the glass to the right window's larger lower light is etched and incorporates the name 'STANLEY ARMS'. Single windows with replaced top-hung casements (top-hung casements are present to all the pub's upper-floor windows) exist to the two floors above and are possibly later insertions; brickwork courses above the first floor window are painted to imitate a wedge lintel. To the left of the elevation is a splayed corner bay with an entrance to the ground floor (no longer in use) with chamfered jambs, partly-glazed panelled doors and a plain overlight. Single windows, which are similarly styled to those directly fronting Liverpool Road, exist to the two floors above. Above the entrance and also above the flanking ground-floor return windows are modern signage fascias. An eaves cornice incorporating a saw-tooth brick band continues around to, and across, the north-east elevation.

North-east elevation: this 3-bay elevation fronts on to Eliza Ann Street and has a similarly styled entrance and windows to those fronting Liverpool Road. The entrance lies to the centre of the ground floor and has a panelled door and a plain overlight. To the left of the entrance is a wide window with 'STANLEY ARMS' in etched glass to its large lower light; the window's three upper lights have lost their multipaned glazing. To the right of the entrance are paired windows; that to the left retains its etched-glass lower light that incorporates the word 'VAULT'. The centre and left bays have single windows to the upper floors with painted-brick lintels, whilst the upper floors of the right bay are blank. Attached to the left (south-east end) of the pub is a 3-bay, 2-storey former terraced-house that has been incorporated into the pub internally. It retains its original central doorway with a segmental arched head, plain overlight and 4-panel door. A window opening to the left and two to the first floor survive in their original form with painted wedge lintels; all contain replaced top-hung casements. A window opening to the right of the doorway has a sill and lintel matching those to the 3-storey part of the pub and is believed to have been altered c1910. Two further terraced houses that were originally attached to the south-east side (depicted on historic OS maps) have since been demolished and a later doorway has been inserted into the south-east gable end.

INTERIOR: internally partly-glazed panelled doors survive throughout, except into the smoke room, which has lost its door. The entrance off Eliza Ann Streets leads into a small vestibule and then a reverse L-shaped drinking lobby/corridor that runs south-eastwards; both spaces have coved ceilings and are lined with a green glazed-tile dado incorporating Art Nouveau-style decoration. A door off to the right (north-west side) of the entrance vestibule has etched decoration incorporating the word 'VAULT'. The vault has a large polygonal bar counter set to the south corner with a panelled front. Fixed-bench seating survives, along with plain moulded cornicing and a chimneybreast; the room's fireplace has been removed. The drinking lobby/corridor is separated from the vault by a bar servery with a glazed timber screen incorporating sliding sashes. An angled doorway located at the corner of the drinking lobby opposite the servery leads into the smoke room, which has re-upholstered fixed-bench seating with original bell-pushes (no longer in working order), ceiling coving, and a later fire surround with an electric fire. The drinking lobby is lit by a tall cross window on the south-west side with leaded glazing incorporating Art Nouveau-style stained glass decoration. Toilets lie off to each side of the drinking lobby and have glazed-tile dados in white and green with egg-and-dart and Greek-key style decoration and red, black and cream tiled floors; the original urinals survive in the gents. The ground-floor room in the former terraced house at the south-east end of the ground floor contains fixed-bench seating with later upholstery, ceiling coving and a large cast-iron range surviving from its former use as a residence. A later doorway has been inserted into the south-east wall and leads out to a small yard area.

Sources

Books and journals
Brandwood, G, Britain's Best Real Heritage Pubs: Pub Interiors of Outstanding Historic Interest, (2013)
Brandwood, G, Davidson, A, Slaughter, M, Licensed to Sell: The History and Heritage of the Public House, (2004)

End of official list entry

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