The Iron Duke

The Iron Duke

This Art Deco public house was built in the late 1930s and completed in 1948, designed by Arthur W Ecclestone. It is constructed of concrete with a steel frame, clad in red brick laid in various bonds with brick and red clay-tile dressings and flint detailing. The roofs are flat and covered in replacement asphalt sheeting.

The building occupies the corner of Jellicoe Road and North Drive, facing out over North Denes Dunes to the sea. It has an approximately rectangular plan with the main entrance on the east elevation leading to the saloon bar in the single-storey projection to the north, and the lounge bar to the south which provides access to a loggia.

The exterior displays the characteristic irregular elevations of Art Deco design. The main block rises to two storeys with single-storey projections along the east and south sides, some curved, all under flat roofs. The principal windows to the two bars have large curved wooden frames divided by two mullions and narrow horizontal glazing bars along the top and bottom. The first-floor windows and those to subsidiary ground-floor areas are metal-framed casements, square or horizontal in shape, with horizontal glazing bars. Ground-floor windows have lintels of vertical tile creasing. A cornice of brick headers runs around the building, and some areas have a plinth of vertical brick stretchers. A number of the original decorative rainwater hoppers bearing the emblem of the Iron Duke survive.

The east elevation features an off-centre entrance accessed via three steps of blue engineering brick, with a double-leaf multi-panelled door (not original) with an overlight and margin lights. This is flanked by two narrow curved pier-like projections extending beyond the eaves line, with brickwork laid in stretcher bond and cornices of vertical tile creasing. Falcons that originally surmounted these piers were removed in October 2017 for health and safety reasons and are being stored. The shallow canopy between the piers has the remains of a timber fascia board. Small windows on either side are flanked by a line of single knapped flints positioned on alternative brick courses, referencing the flint flushwork common on Norfolk churches. The rectangular projection at the north-east corner containing the saloon bar has curved corners with brickwork laid in header bond. Three steps lead up to a double-leaf door (not original) with an overlight and margin lights, flanked by narrow curved projections clad in fluted concrete with a glazed finish. The wide canopy has a later wooden fascia board. To the left of the central entrance, a bow-shaped projection housing part of the lounge wraps around the south-east corner. Its three windows are divided by two fluted columns with a canopy above. Behind these single-storey projections rises the first floor, which has a white painted string course at lintel level. The outer corners are curved, and on the east side there is a deep recess above the central entrance.

Along the south elevation, at the left-hand side, three steps lead up to a double-leaf door (not original) with an overlight and margin lights, flanked by two large windows. Above these apertures projects a wide loggia with a canopy with curved corners supported by fluted columns. A dwarf wall forming two small semicircular enclosures on either side of the loggia has been partially dismantled. To the right is a tall recessed panel with quoins of brighter red brick embellished with knapped flint and two orders of bullnosed brick. A square brick panel at the top, laid in vertical stretcher bond, bears a fixed oval ceramic plaque with a falcon and the word LACONS. In front of this panel are steps up to the loggia and a cellar hatch. Behind the loggia at first-floor level is a wide central projection with curved corners and horizontally channelled brickwork, with windows at either end.

The subsidiary rear west and north elevations have irregularly placed windows with brick jambs of brighter hue interspersed with knapped flint. This detailing is repeated in the quoins. Along the short west elevation is a dwarf wall formed into crenellations. A rear yard, or former beer garden, is enclosed by tall brick walls laid in Flemish bond, punctuated by square piers decorated with flints and tile creasing laid horizontally and vertically just below the flat cappings.

The interior configuration of rooms on the ground and first floors remains as originally planned, with numerous original fixtures, fittings and joinery surviving, including plywood doors with brass handles and cast-iron radiators. Some elements probably date to a refurbishment in the late 1960s, including panelled doors and possibly the raised seating areas.

The central entrance hall has square panelling to the lower half of the walls with a panelled cornice above, leading into the saloon bar on the right and the lounge bar on the left. Both bars have ceilings with deep ribs arranged in a grid pattern and a moulded cornice. In the saloon bar, the curved entrance bay is flanked by full-height semicircular timber or plywood piers supported on semicircular plinths. The piers originally contained lights behind curved glazing, now removed. The bar is raised on a shallow tile-lined plinth and flanked by pier lights. It is of plywood with a Formica counter top, panelled front, security grille, and cornice with flush panelling above. Behind the bar, fitted shelves, cupboards and mirrors in wooden frames remain intact, as does the tiled floor laid in basketweave. Opposite the bar, a platform with plain timber rails contains a fitted upholstered bench flanked by pier lights. At the far west end another bench is fitted beneath the curved window.

The lounge bar has full-height large rectangular panels and contains a similar panelled bar to the saloon bar but longer, without the flanking pier lights. It retains fitted shelves and cupboards, and small beige tiles to the rear wall with two bands of green tiles. At the far west end there is a brick fireplace with a grate and tiled hearth. To the left of this, the door opening onto the loggia is flanked by fitted benches in the window alcoves, followed by a platform with another fitted bench. The south-east corner bay is also fitted with benches and has a central octagonal pier with panelled faces.

A timber staircase to the rear of the building is a straight flight with a quarter turn, large-panelled soffit and square newel posts. The first floor provided accommodation and is plain in detailing, retaining skirting boards and cornices, some built-in cupboards and one gas fire. Extensive cellars lie beneath with plank and batten doors and a small lift shaft.