The Bartons Arms Public House

This List entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 06/01/2017

SP 08 NE, 7/52

ASTON, HIGH STREET, The Bartons Arms Public House

(Formerly listed as: HIGH STREET, Aston B6, No 152 (The Barton Arms Public House))

31.03.76

II*

Built 1900-01 to the designs of James and Lister Lea for Mitchells & Butlers. The 3-storey building stands on a prominent corner site with Potters Lane. Restrained Jacobean-style elevations with Dutch gables. Ashlar ground floor with broad, depressed arched 3-light windows with inset flanking colonettes. Cornice over, returned across bevelled corner, with segmental pediment above doorway to south front with 2-storey, ashlar canted bay with curved sides, arcaded ground floor lights, cornices and strapwork parapet. Upper floors otherwise of red brick, the window bays articulated by pilasters. Pilastered canted stone bay windows to 1st floor with leaded swept roofs. Thin tripartite second-floor windows with sharply swept pediments rising from cornice, set against brickwork of the Dutch gables. The ground-floor windows have very fine frosted glass and leaded stained glass - an indication of the splendours of the interior.

INTERIOR: The Barton Arms interior is the best example of the period in Birmingham, retaining a complete suite of Public Bar, Saloon-Smoke Rooms, Club Room, Committee Room and Billiard Hall on 2 floors, lavishly decorated in polychrome Minton tile work, cut and silvered mirrored glass, panelled woodwork and with a very ornate cast iron staircase with lamp standards surmounting the tiled newel posts, ornate plaster ceilings and Jacobean overmantel fireplaces. Good pictorial tiled panels in staircase hall, reset large painted glass window with naturalistic flower surround to medieval scene of host entertaining, and another fine stained and silvered glass window on half landing of staircase. The mahogany bar has good snob screen with engraved glass in panels. Bench seating, that in Smoke Room to east, with canted bay, having engraved silvered glass in panels above the back rests. The staircase walls are entirely tiled and the balustrade has bold floral scrolled ironwork. The Club Room, Committee Room and Billiards Hall are on the first floor, again good glass to doors and plasterwork ceilings. The Billiard Hall has a central column with ornate capital supporting boss from which radiate panelled beams.

The intactness of this pub interior and the wealth of tile work make it the best example of its date in Birmingham.

Listing NGR: SP0721089034