Description

WEST BRIDGEFORD

SK53NE GORDON SQUARE, GORDON ROAD
1849/1/10002 Test Match Hotel
04-MAY-00

II*

Public house. 1938 by A. C. Wheeler for Hansons Ltd of Kimberley. Fittings by Harris & Sheldon. Buff brick with stone portico and red brick plinth and window heads. Plain red tile roofs. Brick ridge and eaves stacks.
PLAN. Two bars at front and, to left, former off-licence. Public bar behind the latter with separate entrance. At rear centre a large assembly room.
EXTERIOR. Near symmetrical front elevation, the central part brought forward and with a prostyle flat-roofed portico with paired columns to the sides. Either side of the portico a 12 over 12 pane sash window. To the first floor 3, 8 over 8 pane sash windows with segmental heads and matching curvature to cills. On the left of the facade a wide bow shop window with small rectangular panes for the former off-licence and above, 2 ,8 over 8 pane sash windows. On the right of the facade 2 ,12 over 12 pane sashes to the ground floor and 2 ,8 over 8 pane sashes on the first floor. Hopper heads with crossed cricket bat emblems. Shallow plain parapet. Hipped roof with centre part slightly higher and breaking forward; in this latter part 2 , 8 over 8 pane sash windows with segmental heads.. Long range on the left return with sash windows of varying configurations. Ballroom/assembly room with large sash windows with semi-circular heads.
INTERIOR. Front left-hand bar (lounge) entered through a revolving door. Opposite this a staircase first floor with bronze rail. Art Deco-style fireplace with mirror over and white marble surround flanked by sapele mahogany fluted columns. Fixed seating with Art Deco-detailed ends. Art Deco treatment also of the ceiling and its lighting. Bar counter modified and extended in late C20 to fill the space beneath the stair. Wall panelling of English ash. Walls decorated with panels of cricketing scenes and emblems. To right a further bar, (formerly a men-only smoke room, ) with lower ceiling and linked to the previous one by an opening widened in the late C20. Wall panelling similar to previous bar. At rear arch with semi-circular head and Art Deco detail to gentlemen?s toilet at rear above the entrance to which is 1930s lettering ?GENTLEMEN?. Public bar has a complete assemblage of 1930s work. Terrazzo flooring in bold geometrical patterns of yellow, grey, orange and black. Bar counter in 3 tiers of rectangular panels breaking forward as they rise. Simple shelving to bar back. Fire surround of slate blocks with angular detail. Assembly room with gently curved ceiling with moulded transverse ribs and spine. At the springing a moulded cornice with large projecting features above brackets containing up-lighting. Sprung maple floor. Bar counter and seating altered late C20. On first floor a cocktail lounge. Curved bar counter partly 1930s; canopy over late C20. In this room a fixed 1930s mirror engraved with a cocktail glass and bubbles. Contemporary ?LADIES? sign on landing. All the public toilets retain their 1930s tiling intact.
A highly distinctive public house of the 1930's and an early example of public house 'theming'. This was the first public house licensed in West Bridgford in the twentieth century and much expense was undertaken to develop a high-quality, well-fitted establishment. The near- complete survival of the 1930s plan and accompanying fittings is now extremely rare.
Source: West Bridgford Times & Echo, 4 Nov. 1938.

Listing NGR: SK5889837182

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Test Match Hotel official website
• Wikidata Q17547874

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)