The Romping Cat

1690/0/10034 ELSMORE GREEN 11-MAR-04 The Romping Cat

II Public House. c.1900. Red brick with timber-framed detailing, tile gabled roofs. 2-storey Vernacular Revival style public house on a corner site. EXTERIOR: To corner, wide jetty with applied studs, curved braces and polygonal cutouts within gable with bargeboards and finial; the jetty is square over the rounded ground floor. 3 bays to each side elevation with deep rendered plinth, moulded brick string course with slightly advanced first floor, and coved eaves cornice. First floor windows have timber mullioned cross frames with leaded lights arranged 3-2-3, brick cills, and moulded and chamfered reveals. Ground floor windows have rounded arches with circular tracery and coloured glass to upper part, brick cills, moulded and chamfered reveals, and etched glass indicating 'COFFEE ROOM' to right side where there is an additional bay at ground floor. Entrance to each side under rounded arch. At both sides, wall continues under stone coping, that to right side starting at first floor and curved down, terminating in brick pier with pyramidal stone cap. INTERIOR: Plan survives, reflecting the corner site, with central Bar Room and diagonally arranged curved bar counter, Coffee Room to right and smaller Smoke Room to left. Curved bar counter with panelled with dividing pilasters that are fluted and curved like brackets; back bar has slender fluted pilasters and exaggerated dentil course to top. Several original interior doors with etched glass to upper part and 2 panels below. Off-sales hatch with glazed overlight. Tiled floors. HISTORY: Built as Sand Bank Tavern. Included on the 2003 CAMRA inventory of outstanding pub interiors. Formerly had yard to rear with stables.

Listed as a fine example of a small urban public house of c.1900 in a historicist style on a corner site that retains its 3-room plan and pub fittings.