The Mitre Inn

The Mitre Inn

A Tudor Revival style pub constructed between 1932 and 1934 to the designs of Scott and Clark of Wednesbury.

The building is constructed of pink-grey handmade brick with half-timbering to the first floor, Cotswold stone dressings, and leaded glass windows. It occupies a corner plot at the junction of Crown Lane to the south and Lower High Street to the east, with a distinctive wedge-shaped plan that narrows to a chamfered south-east corner entrance.

The exterior is characterised by brick elevations with stone dressings and heavily corbelled brick stacks. Windows throughout feature leaded glazing ornamented with heraldic designs including the mitre, with those to the ground floor having mullions and transoms. The cast iron downpipes are embossed with grape vine sections.

The main entrance is set into the south-east corner within a moulded stone surround, topped by one of three jettied gables facing the roads. These gables feature half-timbering with rendered infill and carved dentil cornices supported by corbel brackets adorned with carved faces. The gable eaves are finished with decoratively carved cusped bargeboards with pendants. Original hanging signs and lanterns are mounted to the south and east gabled bays.

Half-timbering continues across the first floor of the east elevation. The central bay has half-timbered ground-floor level with herringbone brick nogging infill and a jettied gable above. A recessed doorway on the north side of this elevation has a leaded stained-glass top light within a Tudor-arched stone surround. The first floor of the south elevation is partially half-timbered with an off-centre gable. Below are a pair of panelled doors with leaded top lights within moulded stone dressings. The west end of the south elevation is constructed of brick with diapering below the first-floor windows, beneath which are a further door and windows within stone dressings. The west gable end features a projecting brick stack above an arched doorway. The rear of the building is constructed of brick with a flat roof and first-floor balconied terrace.

Interior

The principal corner entrance features a stained-glass top light with mitre motif and leads through a small vestibule into the main bar area. The central three-sided bar features carved relief panelling and a glazed back bar with a carved shell frieze. The main bar room has painted timbers and a painted brick fireplace. The adjoining lounge features timber-panelled walls and embellished plaster cornicing. The stone fireplace in the lounge has a Tudor-arched opening with relief carving, set within a decoratively carved mantel piece with flanking pilasters and an integral square clock. The pool room is also panelled with a similarly carved stone fireplace and decorative timber mantel with inset clock. A room behind the bar retains a stylised brick fireplace with brick overmantel, leading through to the backstair which features stick balusters with transoms. The cellar below contains a barrel chute and tiled lightwells.

The north entrance lobby leads to the principal staircase with carved timber newel posts, a half-landing, and a six-light stair window with leaded and stained-glass heraldry. The landing opens to a large function room featuring a barrel-vaulted ceiling with bands of embellished plasterwork and decorative ventilation grills. The rear restrooms retain glazed partitioning and leaded glass windows with patterned margin lights. Internal doors throughout are partially glazed with leaded and stained glass, many with original brassware.