Details
1003/0/10009 FOWLER STREET
16-FEB-10 45-47
STAG'S HEAD PUBLIC HOUSE
(Formerly listed as:
FOWLER STREET
14-47
STAG'S HEAD PUBLIC HOUSE)
II
Public House, 1897, architect unknown.
MATERIALS: Brick construction with stone dressings and slate roof.
PLAN: This is a two storey building with cellar, slate roof and a brick chimney to the north. The frontage sits on Fowler Street, facing south west. It is rectangular in plan, with the original section constituting the front two thirds of the footprint.
EXTERIOR: The main façade is of three bays, with a central gable. It has canted bays to both floors; that to the first floor almost spanning the width of the building and that to the ground floor with decorative mullions, cornicing and Art-Nouveau style etched glass incorporating the name of the pub. All windows appear original, with a mixture of fixed panes, hoppers and sashes. Entrances are to either side of the ground floor canted bay, both with original doors; that to the right accessing the first floor. Above these are lanterns with lettering reading 'BAR' to the left and `LOUNGE BAR' to the right. A golden stag's head protrudes from the gable, surrounded by black painted decorative stone or plasterwork, with the date 1897 beneath. The frontage retains its original cast iron down pipes and hoppers. The rear elevation is entirely modern in character.
INTERIOR: The entrance lobby to the left has floor to ceiling tiling with some anaglypta and the inner door has a stained and leaded panel, although this may be replacement as it perfectly matches those to the C20 extension. The foyer also incorporates a panel with cut glass, likely to be the original design. The downstairs public bar has a wide, four-centred arch which spans the servery. Within it is the original bar back, incorporating a clock and numerous shelves with turned columns, unaltered save for the removal of two sections of shelving in order to accommodate modern tills. The original counter has been extended to continue around the corner into the extension, although it matches in style with recessed panels and brass hand and foot rails. A large tiled and wood surround fireplace with a stag's head at the top is sited on the north wall. The original section of the ground floor is surrounded by a wooden picture rail, cornice and plaster frieze with foliage decoration between. The access between this bar and the original stairwell has been blocked by modern fixed seating, but the glass-panelled door survives.
The upstairs lounge bar retains its Victorian bar back, incorporating turned columns and leaded glass panels, and the bar counter with recessed panels. These now sit within the extension on a raised platform and the counter appears to have been truncated. A fireplace with substantial wood surround featuring a number of turned columns is situated on the north wall. Two doorways, one with elaborate surround, are on the southern wall. The latter accesses the stairs to the street while the other leads through to the stairs in the extension; both have etched glass reading `LOUNGE'. The original stairwell is surrounded by a screen of round headed windows with reeded pilasters. This floor also has wooden cornice and picture rail with plaster frieze, although the design is a mixture of foliage and geometrical patterns. The ceiling retains wooden decorative work and anaglypta, with a pierced ceiling rose.
HISTORY: The Stag's Head was constructed in 1897, replacing half of the site previously entirely occupied by the adjacent former Co-op building. At some time between the 1:2500 OS map of 1897 and that of 1915 a small extension was added to the southern half of the rear. In 1984 a two-storey extension was added to the rear to provide additional bar space, toilets and bin stores. Access to the upstairs bar changed at this time from the front entrance to a new staircase within this extension, although the original stair remains in situ. The bar fittings to the first floor were relocated at this point from the space between the old staircase and the front windows on the right hand side of the room, to the extension. After this change of layout most fixed seating appears to have been replaced, as the downstairs window seats block the access between the original stair and the downstairs bar, and the upstairs seating encroaches on the original position of the counter. At some point in the late C20 the entrance foyer was rearranged so that the door to the bar is now to the right, rather than straight ahead. Other minor alterations include an enlargement of the opening to the original rear wall to improve access to the extension in 1992.
SOURCES:
Brandwood, G, Davison, A & Slaughter, M, Licensed to Sell: The History and Heritage of the Public House (2004)
Campaign for Real Ale, Gamston, D (ed), The CAMRA National Inventory: Pub Interiors of Outstanding Historic Interest (2003)
Campaign for Real Ale, Holland, J (compiled by), The North East Regional Inventory: Pub Interiors of Special Historic Interest (2006)
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION:
The Stag's Head public house of 1897 on Fowler Street, South Shields is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural: a purpose-built urban public house which retains its original decorative façade.
* Plan form: the pub retains much of its original plan-form including, in addition to the ground-floor bar, a further one to the first floor.
* Fixtures and fittings: despite some later alterations the bars on both floors retain elaborate decorative detailing including bar backs and counters, fireplaces, and etched glass.
