The Fellowship Inn Public House and attached hall

The Fellowship Inn Public House and Attached Hall

A public house and hall complex located next to Bellingham railway station, built on the embankment of the bridge carrying Randlesdown Road over the railway line. The main pub building sits at the top of the embankment fronting the north side of Randlesdown Road, with the adjoining two-storey hall situated at the foot of the embankment off Knapmill Road. The upper storey of the hall aligns with the ground floor of the main pub building.

The pub is constructed in brown brick laid in English bond with hipped clay tile roofs and tall brick chimneys. Exposed brickwork is visible only to ground-floor window level, with the upper portions of the south, east and west elevations rendered with applied half-timber decoration in a half-timbered 'Brewers' Tudor' style. The structure rises to two storeys plus attic and basement.

The principal south elevation comprises five bays on the ground floor featuring large Tudor-arched entrances with triple square transoms above double doors with leaded lights in bays two and four, and blocks of metal casement windows with leaded lights in the remaining bays. The first floor has six paired metal-framed casements with leaded lights and square transoms, below which sits decorative timber framing with a modern fascia panel under the two centre windows. Three hipped dormers occupy the attic storey. The east elevation has a pair of shallow gabled cross-wings with applied half-timbered decoration above exposed brickwork, with paired leaded casements in the southern gable. A Tudor-arched entrance to the stair lobby occurs at the east end of the south elevation. The west elevation features applied timber decoration with four decorative panels and leaded casement windows. The northern elevation comprises an angled two-storey brick block at the end of Knapmill Street with a timber shop front on the ground floor (originally the off-sales), featuring boarded replacements to original doors and plate glass display windows with a partly missing eastern timber pilaster. Windows above and east of the shopfront have rubbed brick arches. A flat roof terrace below the L-shaped first-floor rear of the main pub is half-timbered with leaded metal casements and hipped dormers.

The attached hall adopts a contrasting neo-Georgian style built in brick with English bond, with a rendered upper storey and flat felted roof behind a parapet. A large pitched skylight occupies the roof centre. The west elevation along Knapmill Street displays five bays divided by pilasters of rusticated brickwork on the ground floor and rendered on the first floor. The three centre bays feature round rubbed brick arches above which sit decorative panels with semi-circular brick arches filled with clay tiles set on edge (originally open features in the parapet when the hall was single-storey). The outer bays contain square openings—the north a doorway and south a window—both with rubbed brick lintels and rubbed brick oculi above. The first floor has five large multi-light windows. The northern elevation displays six bays with pilasters, with the eastern bay containing a projecting entrance block accessed via a metal staircase to the first floor. The three bays adjoining the entrance block repeat the arches and decorative panels of the western elevation; the two western bays are blind. The eastern elevation comprises four bays, all with ground-floor arched openings, decorative plaques and large metal casement windows. The south elevation follows the same arrangement in its three bays, joining the main pub building at the west end.

The pub ground floor accommodates a public bar to the west and saloon bar to the east (originally comprising lounge and smoke room at the front with dining room at the rear) with a central servery and office behind. To the north lies a large function room (formerly the lounge and recreation room, forming the upper floor of the main hall), partitioned at its west end to create what was originally the children's room. The lower floor contains a beer cellar to the south, an off-sales area to its north-west, and the large hall to the north. A lobby and staircase on the east side provides access to the upper floors. The first floor contains a large kitchen and staff accommodation in the remaining upstairs area.

The saloon bar retains wooden panelling, an entrance lobby screen with leaded transoms and original doors, a stone Tudor-arched fire surround, two dumb waiters, a folding screen to the rear hall, and a panelled division to the public bar with leaded transoms. The bar counter is original, as does the bar back. A transom with leaded lights and carved Tudor rose decoration divides the servery. Behind the servery sits a small panelled publican's office with leaded glazing to the public bar. The public bar retains its large entrance lobby screen, panelling and fire surround, with an original bar counter (boarded above counter level). The rear lounge has lost most original fittings and acquired a suspended ceiling, though the original skylights remain. A modern stage occupies the eastern end, though servery elements are original. At the hall centre stands a circular timber well-like structure dating probably to the 1920s, covering one of two plastered-over original skylights from the single-storey hall; the other is no longer present. West of the lounge is the separate children's room. The WC retains original white-glazed tiling and urinals.

The lower hall features an entrance lobby and cloakrooms to the west and a smaller lobby in the north-east corner. It has a coffered concrete ceiling with elements of classical decoration including marble-effect wooden columns around the walls. Original parquet flooring survives, and cinema seating of uncertain date is present. A fire-damaged stage occupies the eastern end. The original servery with roller shutters, screen to the entrance lobby, dado panelling elements, doors and arched metal-framed windows all survive. The main entrance lobby retains original doors, entrance screen and monochrome floor tiling. Cloakroom fittings also survive. The large off-sales area on the same level retains its original serving counter, shelving, internal leaded glazing and glass globe lamp fitting.

Upper floors contain staff accommodation and a large kitchen with pantry, two dumb waiters, cream glazed-brick decoration with green trim, and a glazed timber-partitioned store-room with original shelving. Original staircases and panelled lobby on the east side of the building survive.