Admiral Vernon public house, including freestanding signpost, garage and rear wall

Admiral Vernon Public House

This public house was built around 1939 for Courage & Co brewery. It stands on a splayed corner plot at the junction of Broad Street (west) and Morland Road (south), with a forecourt to the street frontage and a small garden yard to the rear.

The building is constructed in brick with cream faience cladding to the ground floor and rendered finish with applied timbers to the upper portion of the central bays. The roof is covered in plain tiles with copper sheeting. It exemplifies the popular 1930s neo-Tudor style, often known as 'Brewers' Tudor', with characteristic applied half-timbering, leaded casement windows, Tudor arch openings, and numerous tall clustered chimney stacks.

The façade to Broad Street presents a canted three-part symmetrical composition. A recessed central section features a central gable framed by a pair of clustered chimney stacks and flanked by two projecting gable-fronted wings. The central gable extends through the first floor and attic storey, with applied half-timbering evident on the first floor. The brick gable-fronted ends of both wings incorporate central oriel windows with copper sheeting to their hoods and risers, embossed with the Courage & Co brewery cockerel emblem. A single-storey former off-sales shop is attached to the north wing, and to the east end stands a single-storey function room with a detached garage beyond.

Faience cladding is applied throughout at street level. The original doors and windows serving the distinct bar rooms remain in their original positions, corresponding to what appear to have been the public bar, private bar, saloon bar, and rear function room. The entrance to the function room is marked with a faience Tudor arch embellished with Tudor roses and foliate patterns in the spandrels. All windows throughout are leaded casements, with the bar room windows incorporating coloured leaded lights in their upper sections. The entrance lamps are later replicas.

The rear elevation is built entirely in brick in simpler form. Steel external stairs descend from the north end of the publican's accommodation to the roof of the single-storey games room projection. Leaded casements feature throughout. Part-glazed sets of doors open to the rear garden from the games room, servery, and function room.

The interior is arranged as three principal bar rooms: a public bar to the left, a central saloon bar, and a function room (or lounge) to the right. The public bar contains two distinct areas, with the rear section formerly functioning as a games room, originally divided by a folding partition screen of which the upper section remains. Both areas retain three-quarter height panelling throughout and decorative plaster friezes with hop garland detailing bordering the ceilings. The original bar counter steps into the room with curved corner sections, a terrazzo trough around the base, a fielded-panel front, and an original counter top. The bar back comprises wooden shelves set between leaded glass panels, with several cupboards with panelled fronts below. A counter screen with leaded glazing serves the former games room. A dart board casement is integrated into the panelling. Two original timber fireplace surrounds, now blocked, survive in the public bar and games room. A low service door remains in the dividing wall between the public bar and private bar. The women's WC retains original wall and floor tiles. The men's WC retains original urinals and wall and floor tiling.

The central saloon bar was originally two rooms, with a small private bar marked by the remaining upper part and supports of the partition screen. The original bar counter remains with a terrazzo trough, fielded-panel front, and original counter top. The bar back is fielded panelling with barley twist detailing, though fridges have replaced half of the original shelving in the lower section. An original tiled fireplace with a Tudor arch timber surround (now with a modern stove installed) stands next to the folding screen. The room retains three-quarter height panelling and a decorative plaster frieze with hop garland detailing. Behind the servery are two original publican's office areas with original panelling, doors, and leaded and frosted glazing to the servery and rear corridor.

A complete folding partition screen divides the saloon bar from the rear function room, retaining original signage to the 'saloon bar' beneath the leaded-glass panes. The original bar counter occupies the west side of the room, featuring a terrazzo trough, fielded-panel front, and original counter top. The bar back is fielded panelling matching the saloon bar, with fitted shelves. The room has three-quarter height panelling and a decorative plaster frieze. A stage has been added at the east end. A men's WC with lobby, accessible from both the function room and saloon bar, retains original doors with leaded glazing, its urinals, and floor and wall tiling. Fixed bench seating throughout the pub is modern.

The cellars, garage, former off-sales shop, and upper-floor publican's apartment were not inspected.

The freestanding timber signpost stands in the front forecourt. A simple brick wall marks the garden boundary to the rear passage.