The best-looking pubs in the UK 2019

Every year, judges from The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) travel up and down the UK to find local pubs that have transformed into architectural and interior design masterpieces.

The Pub Design Awards, held in association with Historic England, recognise high standards of architecture in the refurbishment and the conservation of existing pubs.

There were five winners across different categories this year, ranging from refurbishment to best ‘street corner local’. Three additional pubs were also highly commended in this year’s awards.

Andrew Davidson, chair of CAMRA’s judging panel, said the boozers that stood out in 2019 were an “eclectic range of buildings, from a 6mx4m micropub on a bustling railway platform to a vast seaside pavilion to a former slaughterhouse.

“What all these buildings demonstrate is that it is possible to fight back against what is sometimes seen as a trajectory of inevitable decline, using imagination and good design. The awards are clear evidence Great British Pub is indeed alive and kicking.”

Keep scrolling to see some natty chandeliers, cosy leather sofas, a converted slaughterhouse, and a very, very big Wetherspoons.

The Pilot Boat, Lyme Regis

The pilot Boat was singled out due to a refurbishment project the owners took on, described as a ‘labour of love’ by Palmers Brewery, which the judges said brought the “tired and dated seaside inn into the modern era.”

The pub with guest rooms has had a complete makeover which takes its cue from its coastal location.

The Royal Victoria Pavilion, Ramsgate

The Royal Victoria Pavilion made headlines across the country when it opened in 2017. Housed in a refurbished casino and dance hall that’s been on Ramsgate’s pier since 1904, the ‘Super Spoons’ spans close to 11,000 square feet, boasting an impressive 800 covers (1,400 if you include the terrace). The 1960s saw Ramsgate, and its Royal Pavilion, go into decline, but the pub giant has revived it in typical J.D. Wetherspoon fashion.

Since its rebirth, notable patrons have included Sunday Times restaurant critic Marina O’Loughlin (Who advised her readers: “for God’s sake, don’t order the food”), the Archbishop of Canterbury, a woman whose life mission is to visit as many Wetherspoon’s as she can and, of course, group founder Tim Martin himself, who makes a point of visiting his own premises on a near-daily basis.

CAMRA’s judges praised Martin for his conversion of “a dilapidated pavilion to a bustling seaside pub.”

The Slaughterhouse, Guernsey

The judges said this boozer, borne out of a converted slaughterhouse, is “inspired”, with Brewer and owner R W Randall transforming it into a “unique and distinctive pub”.

It had operated as a slaughterhouse on Guernsey for more than 150 years until its closure in 2012. David Chamberlain, the state’s vet, told the BBC at the time that the walls “were sort of a granite rubble construction, very, very difficult to keep clean.” Nice.

All the more reason to congratulate its new occupiers on the renovation.

The Coopers Tavern, Burton-on-Trent

One of the most quintessential-looking venues of the award-winners, the judges at CAMRA were particularly impressed by Joules’ Brewery’s “tasteful conservation” of this historic tap house dating back to the 1800s.

The Cardigan Arms, Leeds

Local heroes regularly feature in CAMRA’s awards series, so it’s little surprise that The Cardigan Arms, which was saved from closure by Kirstall Brewery, makes the top five.