Rose And Crown Public House

SP09NW 1690/0/10019 04-OCT-04

WALSALL OLD BIRCHILLS Rose and Crown Public House

II

Hotel, now public house. 1901. C.W.N.Johnson. Red Flemish bond brick with painted stone and timber dressings and a slate roof. Two storeys with attic and cellar. At the corner of Old Birchills and Reedswood Close is a canted corner and this has a doorway at centre with a horseshoe arch and blocked fanlight. To the spandrels are foliage motifs and at either side are heavy brackets. At first floor level is a sash window which has a sill band which extends around the building. The window has 2 lower lights and 6 upper lights and the parapet above this is of swan's neck form with a central, projecting obelisk and ball finials to either side. The date 1901 is set in relief against a background of carved. Facing Old Birchills are 3 bays with a door at centre which has a cambered arch with alternating brick and painted stone voussoirs. To its left is a cross-window with similar head. At right is a projecting square bay with 4 lights which diminishes via a hipped roof to a first floor 3-light square bay window at first floor level and again to a more slender 3-light window in the projecting gable at second floor level. The top of the window connects with a jettied gable. To the left of this are 2 first-floor windows with stone heads and a 3-light gabled dormer. The front to Reedswood Close has, at ground floor level, two basket-arched 3-light windows with alternating brick and painted stone voussoirs and at far left a door way with similar head and 2 panelled doors. At first floor level are a single light sash window to left and two paired sashes at right. Above the doors on Old Birchills and Reedswood Close are inscribed rectangular stones which read; "ROSE AND CROWN/HOTEL". Interior: The plan appears to have suffered little alteration. In their original positions are a Kitchen, Smoke room with fitted benches to bay and side walls with carved bench ends and Hall with tiling to the dado level and off-sales hatch with etched glass reading "HIGHGATE/ALES". The public bar has fitted benches to two walls, a ceramic frieze, below the cornice, to 3 sides, its original fireplace and overmantel mirror and bar [with inset panels of tiling] and bar back. There are original panels of stained glass to the windows. Built as an hotel in 1901 for the local brewer, John Lord of Long Acre Street, Walsall in close proximity to the flight of 8 locks on the Walsall Junction Canal. The building is now a public house. It may have been intended to cater to trade from passing bargees. The buildings included a stables to the rear yard [not included in this listing] and the rear of the hotel was altered in the 1920s. The public house and yard with its stable now fall under different ownership.

This is a fine early-C20 public house with many original features both inside and out. It retains to a large degree its original plan form.