The Malt Shovel

The Malt Shovel is a public house located on Main Street in Oswaldkirk, dating from around 1700, although it has earlier origins and underwent renovations in the 20th century. The building is constructed of limestone rubble with a stone slate roof. It features a central hallway entry and a garden facade that is two storeys high with four first floor windows. The structure has a plinth and rusticated quoins. The entrance consists of a board door topped by three glazed panels within an eared architrave, which is beneath a broken segmental pediment that contains a 20th-century coat of arms. The windows are sash style with glazing bars, set in architraves with pulvinated friezes and topped with broken pediments, some of which are segmental and others plain. The gable has coping with shaped kneelers, and there are stacks at the left end and ridge. The end gable features double chamfered mullion windows. Inside, the pub retains several original chamfered cross beams and panelling, along with an open string staircase that has elaborate bulbous balusters. These interior features suggest that some parts of the building may date back slightly earlier than 1700, which is when a comprehensive remodelling of the facade likely occurred. The 20th-century renovations included blocking the central first floor window.