Admiral Rodney Inn, Prestbury, Cheshire East

Summary

Public house, C18 with c1939 interior and further C20 alterations. Whitewashed brick, Kerridge stone-slate roof, mainly 2-storeys

Description

Public house, C18 with c1939 interior and further C20 alterations. Whitewashed brick, Kerridge stone-slate roof, mainly 2-storeys

PLAN: 3-room plan (now opened-up) to the main part of the ground floor with two further rooms to the north-east end, which have also been opened-up to form a single space. A former passageway and adjacent cottage on the south-west side of the inn have been incorporated into the interior, and private accommodation exists to the first floor. A former stable range attached to the rear right now contains a kitchen and stores.

EXTERIOR: Front (south-east) elevation: the original part of the building consists of a 3-bay range with an off-centre doorway with a flat-arched head and a C20 studded door. Flanking the doorway are 3-light casement windows with replaced leaded glazing, with two 3-light casement windows to the first floor above; both first-floor windows have small-pane, cast-iron frames and glazing with replaced leaded glazing to the centre lights. An additional bay to the far right of the elevation is believed to be a later addition and is similarly styled with a 3-light casement window to the ground floor and a 4-light casement window to the first floor with small-pane, cast-iron frames and glazing; the two outer lights have replaced leaded glazing. All the elevation's windows have narrow painted sills and three brick ridge stacks exist to the roof; that to the left (south-west) end is rendered. A neighbouring passageway to the left of the inn was infilled in 1983-5 and amalgamated internally, with the doorway blocked-up externally. An adjacent late-C18/early-C19, 2-bay cottage to the left also now forms part of the inn and is similarly constructed of whitewashed brick with a Kerridge stone slate roof. The cottage is of a slightly taller 2-storeys and has a doorway containing a C20 boarded door with an inset bull-eye glazed panel to the ground-floor left. To the right is a 3-light casement window with transom bars; both the doorway and window have segmental-arched heads. A 2-light window and 3-light window above also have transom bars. This cottage was originally Listed as part of the Entry for Lilac Cottage (NHLE no: 1139573), which adjoins to the south-west.

Rear elevation: the rear elevation originally formed the principal entrance to the inn before the construction of New Road in 1833 and it incorporates a number of single-storey and 2-storey projections; all with casement windows. A 2-storey former stable range projects from the left side of the elevation and overlooks a large rear yard, with a single-storey projection attached at a right angle, forming an L-shape. The range has boarded doors and fixed-pane windows.

INTERIOR: the inn's 'Brewer's Tudor' interior scheme is believed to date mainly to c1939 when the inn was acquired by the Robinson's Brewery. A small entrance vestibule with a tiled floor and a heavy panelled inner door incorporating a decorative, inset leaded-glazed panel leads into an entrance lobby. The ground floor of the inn has applied timberwork and both early and later beams. It has been opened out (probably in the 1980s), but the original plan with two rooms to the front and one to the rear, and two additional rooms at the north-east end, remains readable. Most of the doorways have been removed, although two c1939 doors in a matching style to that in the entrance vestibule access the cellar and a small former toilet with c1939 glazed tiling to the walls, which is now used for storage. A large bar counter with recessed panels sits to the centre of the inn's south-west wall and has been moved back from its former position; the bar-back now occupies the space of the former adjacent passageway, which was incorporated into the inn in the 1980s. All the rooms contain fixed-bench seating and retain their c1939 glazed-brick and tile fireplaces and hearths, although all now have modern gas and electric fires and convection heater stoves inserted into the openings. The room to the front-left of the inn has a painted depiction of Admiral Rodney's coat of arms above the fireplace, which is adorned with the motto 'NON GENERANT AQUILAE COLUMBAS' ('eagles do not beget doves'). Bell pushes (no longer in use) also survive, along with an annunciator box in the bar servery. Behind the front right room is a corridor leading to the two rooms at the north-east end of the inn, which have been knocked through to create a single space. Forming the north-west side of the corridor is the main stair, which has a closed string, slender splat balusters, a wide handrail, a geometric-patterned timber and pierced-metal dog gate, and a newel post with a lantern finial. The cellar stair is located underneath and has been replaced. The rear former stable range contains a modern commercial kitchen and has a doorway knocked through into the rooms at the north-east end of the inn. An inserted opening in the inn's south-west wall leads through into the former passageway and the ground-floor of the neighbouring cottage, which now contains the inn's toilets, office and bottle shed. The inn's first-floor accommodation was not inspected.

History

The Admiral Rodney Inn is believed to date to the C18. It has been suggested that the inn dates to c1730 and was originally known as the 'Board', before later changing its name to commemorate the distinguished British naval officer, Admiral George Bridges Rodney (1718-1792). The pub's original entrance was on what is now the rear elevation, as before New Road was constructed in 1833, Pearl Street was the main turnpike road through the village. The pub was owned for some considerable time by the Legh family of Adlington Hall before being sold to Robinson's Brewery in 1939.

Reasons for Listing

The Admiral Rodney Inn is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architectural interest: it is an interesting example of an C18 inn remodelled internally in 'Brewer's Tudor' style following acquisition by new owners in 1939; its exterior remaining largely unaltered;

* Interior survival: the c1939 interior scheme retains numerous features, including applied timberwork, glazed-brick and tile fireplaces and hearths, bell pushes, and a main stair with a newel post incorporating an unusual lantern finial.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.