The Ivy House public house

The Ivy House is a public house built in the neo-Georgian style, comprising a symmetrical front elevation of five bays: a three-bay, three-storey central block with hipped tile roof flanked by slightly projecting single-bay, two-storey wings with flat roofs and parapets. The building is constructed of mixed red and brown brick in Flemish bond with concrete or Portland Stone dressings.

The front elevation features horned sash windows with glazing bars set in square openings on the upper floors. The first-floor windows have gauged brick arches, except for the central window which sits within a taller semi-circular headed arch decorated with scallop work in the tympanum. Second-floor window lintels are formed by a continuous broad concrete cornice. The large ground-floor windows in the end bays are treated distinctively with irregular quoins and broad heads bearing plaques with the Truman logo, continuous with a broad platband. A pair of adjoining timber-framed entrances are topped by square plaques supported by volutes and bearing carriage lamps, surrounded by glazed screens. The rear elevation presents an assortment of flat roofs with a mixture of original sash windows and uPVC replacements.

The interior comprises two front bars (the western bar converted to staff accommodation), an eastern bar, a large hall to the rear, and a rear bar that was originally a refreshment room. All areas were originally served from a central service area and kitchen.

The eastern front bar, originally the saloon bar, retains dado-height panelling, a glazed entrance lobby, a moulded stone fire surround, a glazed multi-pane screen to the hall and original bench seating. The cornice of the panelling bears original incised gold lettering reading 'BURTON – TRUMANS – LONDON' over the fireplace, 'BEN TRUMAN' over the men's toilet entrance, 'IMPERIAL STOUT', 'BURTON BREWED BITTER' and 'TRUBROWN ALE' over the hall screen, and 'TRUMANS EAGLE ALES' near the front entrance. The curved bar counter is original and features a brown and white chequered tile spittoon trough, characteristic of 1930s Truman's pubs. The panels over the bar counter are probably original, though the bar back is modern. The men's toilet retains its original white tiling.

The large hall is panelled to dado height with a stage at the northern end, which appears to retain its proscenium arch beneath later stage dressings. The hall has an original stone fire surround, a bar counter with chequered tile spittoon trough, and glazed double entrance doors from the front bar. Recessed double doors to the refreshment room are surrounded by an Art Deco style surround.

The refreshment room or rear bar is decorated in Jacobethan style with a timbered ceiling and decorative painted plaster plaques depicting animals, birds and ships above dado-height panelling. These bear resemblance to plaster decoration on the exterior of the Railway Hotel, Edgware, designed by the same architect. The room contains an inglenook in the west wall with a stone fire surround and built-in settles (one of which has lost its arm rest), plus a pair of windows with coloured glass chevron design. The north wall features a large multi-pane arched window with some original coloured glass and an exit to the rear courtyard. The bar is original with glazed screens above at either end, also featuring chevron designs in coloured glass.

The western front bar has been converted to accommodation and partitioned, probably to enlarge the adjoining women's toilet, resulting in loss of the bar counter. This room was originally the public bar and retains simple original features including fireplace, cornice and picture rail, though otherwise altered. It features coloured glazing in the metal windows. The upper floors, understood to consist solely of modernized staff accommodation, were not inspected.