Volunteer Arms (Staggs), 79-81 North High Street

The Volunteer Arms, also known as Staggs, is a mid-19th century public house located at 79-81 North High Street. It underwent alterations in 1888 and around 1900. This two-storey building has a three-bay rectangular plan with a gabled roof. The front features a roughly central opening, with the public house entrance on the left, which includes six-panelled timber doors leading to the public bar and the former jug bar. The front elevation is harled and washed, while the sides are constructed from squared sandstone rubble, with painted margins and raised painted cills. There is a base course on both the front and side elevations, along with a deep string course and an eaves course on the front.

The first floor has regular fenestration with bipartite windows in the outer bays. The windows are timber sash and case with four-pane glazing, except for the pub window which has plate glass. The roof is covered with grey slates and features ashlar coped skews and stacks, some of which have replacement coping and yellow clay cans.

Inside, the public house retains a well-preserved Victorian decorative scheme. Upon entering, there is a lobby leading to the bar, which has a two-leaf inner door with stained leaded glass in the upper panel, inscribed with "JUG BAR" (the jug bar was relocated when it was removed). The walls are timber boarded with decorative reeding at regular intervals, and bells are still in place. The main area has a compartmented timber ceiling with a cornice. There are timber panelled and glazed partitions that enclose a seating area, featuring decorative finials and some remaining gas light fixtures, along with a timber panelled dado in the rear snug. The counter-front is also panelled and features decorative carved scrolls, with a gantry displaying spirit casks. A mirror advertising William Whitelaw & Son's Pale Ales is mounted on the left wall.