The Guest House

The Guest House, Nos 14 and 16 Union Street, Southport

Public house, circa 1900, built before 1910 for Robert B Haslam. A two-storey building with cellar and attic, constructed in sandstone ashlar with carved decorative detail, timber-framed façade to the upper storey, brick rear wall, and red tile roof. The design follows Arts and Crafts Tudor style principles.

The façade comprises four bays: wide gabled bays flanking a narrow entrance bay, with a side entrance bay to the right. End ridge stacks are rendered with stone cornice and cylindrical red chimney pots. Both the main and side entrances have glazed and panelled outer doors with 8- and 10-pane overlights, chamfered surrounds, and shallow pilasters carved with panels depicting birds and flowers. A pilaster also appears at the far left. Above the main entrance sits an ornate plaster panel with raised lettering reading "THE / GUEST / HOUSE" and stylised rose trees.

Windows throughout feature leaded panes. The ground floor has paired 3-light mullion and transom windows, a small 4-light canted bay above the entrance, and large 4-light mullion and transom windows in the gables. A small 2-light window appears far right, with two 4-light flat-roofed dormers in the roof slope to the centre and right.

The interior retains considerable decorative detail. The main entrance door is ribbed below the lock bar with square cut-outs to the lower panels contrasting with a roundel to the upper half containing a leaf motif in stained glass. A glazed screen opens into a wide entrance passage with moulded wallpaper below the dado. Polished wood, brass fittings, and stained glass panels with flower motifs are throughout. Oak and other woods appear in doors, wall panelling, bar front, moulded dado rails, and fire surrounds. The fire surrounds feature distinctive architectural design with tapering pilasters, carved panels of flowers and birds, and inlay.

The bar serves the public bar directly to the right and retains an original 4-section glazed screen with glass sashes (three of the lower sashes removed). The public bar has a glazed door and panels with belt pushes above bench seating. The left room contains bevelled glass panels. The narrow stairs are now enclosed, with the door probably removed from the front room; the tapering chamfered newel post has been shortened. The rear left room has a wood block floor and opens to the bar area with an inserted stained glass screen, with passage to toilets beyond. A far right entrance is wide with paired glazed doors, opening to a passage towards the former outdoor bar, cellars, and rear yard.

The cellar ceiling has been raised and a beer store built behind the bar in the late 20th century. Upper floor front rooms retain wooden fire surrounds. The rear left room is a large top-lit space, formerly for music or billiards, decorated with stained glass depicting flower and leaf motifs.

Historical context: By the late 19th century, Southport was an established popular resort and residential town. The terraced properties at the north end of Lord Street, formerly off which Union Street ran, included beer houses, beer sellers, dining rooms, and small shops. Robert Haslam operated a beerhouse at No. 16 Union Street in 1900 and was also an ale and porter bottler with premises at 8 Haweside Street. During the later 19th century, "improved" public house design was promoted nationally as an alternative to the gin palace, emphasizing middle-class standards of good taste and comfort. Haslam used this style when rebuilding his beerhouse together with George Cruikshank's beerhouse, "The Union," at No. 14. The Guest House was completed by 1910, its footprint appearing on the Ordnance Survey plan of Southport surveyed in 1909, with the frontage well positioned to be seen along Castle Street. By 1925, Haslam had engaged a manager to run the Guest House while he lived in Melling Road.