The Roebuck Public House

The Roebuck Public House

A late 19th-century public house of unknown architect, located prominently on the corner of Great Dover Street and Trinity Street in Southwark. The building has been subject to later alterations, mainly to the interior.

The structure is constructed principally of red brick with a slate mansard roof culminating in a green copper pavilion roof with curved sides to the south end. The architectural style is eclectic and free, incorporating Jacobean, Dutch and Classical features.

The building occupies a flat-iron plan, rising to two storeys plus a tall and elaborate attic storey with a cellar beneath. The Great Dover Street elevation comprises three bays, whilst the Trinity Street elevation has four. The flat-topped point of the building is one bay wide, featuring a two-storey canted bay window with wide arched windows set on pink granite columns at ground floor level, and a shaped gable behind a pierced strapwork parapet at attic level.

The ground-floor windows are full-height fixed multi-pane windows separated at each bay by pink granite pilasters. First and second-floor windows are horned sashes set within heavy, painted stone mullion and transom frames, with painted quoins to the second floor. Each elevation has a central dormer set within an aedicule with a scallop shell tympanum over the window; the flanking dormers have semi-circular pediments. A low stone stall-riser extends along much of the building. A painted wooden fascia bearing the pub and brewery names is supported by carved brackets depicting floral and animal motifs on the short south elevation. The Trinity Street elevation has a late 20th-century canopy attached to the fascia. Geometrically-decorated stone pilasters with foliate capitals mark the bay divisions at first-floor level.

Five chimneys are prominent features of the roofline, including two tall stacks on the outer sides of the south elevation that frame the pediment and pavilion roof behind.

The ground floor contains one open-plan public room with auxiliary rooms to the rear including toilets. Cast-iron columns support the ceiling where original partitions have been removed. A U-shaped wooden-panelled bar, likely original, occupies the space. An original fireplace is situated on the northern wall. An original staircase ascends to a public function room on the first floor, alongside kitchen and store rooms. This first-floor function room is panelled to dado-rail height and retains its original fireplace and picture rail. The second floor was not inspected. The basement has been altered since construction but still contains several glazed brick light-wells, now blocked at pavement level.

The Roebuck was built in the late 19th century to replace a previous public house of the same name. It is unclear whether the building shown on the 1878 Ordnance Survey map represents this structure or its predecessor.