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26-04-2023, 23:06
Visit the Paul Bailey's Beer Blog site (https://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-bartons-arms-victorian-splendour-on.html)
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz_euN61SkM8H-kqLWN063Sj2KUKgUN4TMuqKfyGB2Rr0_tlGIP3rjIfFu3kWPqw R2nZzcuLgFVqwb-MTiA8SSEMKUztAayphQksOKa07VTGLEwYTEOAD5tMLqMfcBfG6 cSzq512d-skQaK7MsV3sIZKxo974jzhq3fSB8pZQ1RRLtEoWkZyE59pk/w400-h289/Bartons%20Arms%20ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz_euN61SkM8H-kqLWN063Sj2KUKgUN4TMuqKfyGB2Rr0_tlGIP3rjIfFu3kWPqw R2nZzcuLgFVqwb-MTiA8SSEMKUztAayphQksOKa07VTGLEwYTEOAD5tMLqMfcBfG6 cSzq512d-skQaK7MsV3sIZKxo974jzhq3fSB8pZQ1RRLtEoWkZyE59pk/s2333/Bartons%20Arms%20ext.jpg)
My visit the other Friday to the Barton’sArms at Aston, was in many ways the highlight of the trip I made toBirmingham. That is not to detract from the many other positives of the day, includingdecent beer, some fine pubs plus equally fine company. Setting foot inside thishigh temple to late Victorian pub design, was something really special, and anexperience that will stay in my mind for a long time, but – spoiler alert, itwas NOT my first visit to the Barton’s Arms.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkScewRYt7BdQTSTcjizQvntocgvWNBY6xJ-wvUwsHmPCcpcG2G7vLEc2v7b_nUJiE48_sx4XHogmz3UzUFLXX WSC-fPnx-1gA4ultPzro_AjqXiPSGcrRbpK8aH48s1JXyqHHk7y7oTo4TDK AAPZ_hlbw9s_BBuiy06toC7FUSHvMe52cmejiSWb/w400-h225/Bartons%20Gents.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkScewRYt7BdQTSTcjizQvntocgvWNBY6xJ-wvUwsHmPCcpcG2G7vLEc2v7b_nUJiE48_sx4XHogmz3UzUFLXX WSC-fPnx-1gA4ultPzro_AjqXiPSGcrRbpK8aH48s1JXyqHHk7y7oTo4TDK AAPZ_hlbw9s_BBuiy06toC7FUSHvMe52cmejiSWb/s4000/Bartons%20Gents.jpg)
My initial visit took place, sometime in the mid-1980s, butif I'm honest I can't remember exactly when it occurred during that period, orwhy |I was in Birmingham in the first place. I believe I there on business, andit would have been the time when I worked in the water treatment industry. Thetrouble is I never used to write things down, and with no Internet, no blog,and no social media, during the mid 80’s. there was really no need to report onsuch matters. What I do remember is the long walk out from central Birminghamto the Aston district of the city, where the pub is located. It seemed ratherdesolate at the time because a lot of urban clearance had taken place, and thisreminded me of similar clearance work I had witnessed a decade or so earlier, inthe Greater Manchester area.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AFmEkVMASPk114r1gvmE5lMdU1LEmgeGeFL6N419jl kzt53w4QFv12saoVJ8eVabpRkAc1W644pqmUdUBvb-B0B_7hcNgXdAu1zgCKMexxO5Zrv3PpktI7koKLmxzKvWJWrdY1 aN2dfDOYFsKSj0WAx3Z2FUMvZqTsgGr4izzPAB2BQkMbHTCYyP/w400-h225/IMG_20230414_140528.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AFmEkVMASPk114r1gvmE5lMdU1LEmgeGeFL6N419jl kzt53w4QFv12saoVJ8eVabpRkAc1W644pqmUdUBvb-B0B_7hcNgXdAu1zgCKMexxO5Zrv3PpktI7koKLmxzKvWJWrdY1 aN2dfDOYFsKSj0WAx3Z2FUMvZqTsgGr4izzPAB2BQkMbHTCYyP/s4000/IMG_20230414_140528.jpg)
The Barton’s Arms (https://www.thebartonsarms.com/) dates from 1901 and was built for Mitchellsand Butler who, even back then, were one of Birmingham’s premier breweries. Thepub is built of stone and red brick in a style that is said to be inspired bythe nearby Aston Hall and was regarded as the flagship pub of the Mitchell andButlers brewery estate. The imposing exterior includes shaped gables and a tallclock tower, with the building occupying a site at the junction of two roads. Itis one of the most spectacular survivors from the late Victorian era in the country,with one of the most beautifulpub interiors to match.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33R-Nmmw-wiH4scEKKnmqJKQpqgUUw89FBgZ3ZEYVPSB_O1FRRimRaqTx8d oh8u-grg0yjBG-EkZIHl9e3cbtyRnJCw2kMotQFvgki3lTqx39BagNc3g_ozBj4g YAq39PtirN2DScaZa_Ex9ttcPr8rgv-IalNSZwYYm5hVXPkQHUxsXTXf9N4ZYt/w400-h225/Bartons%20Ladies.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33R-Nmmw-wiH4scEKKnmqJKQpqgUUw89FBgZ3ZEYVPSB_O1FRRimRaqTx8d oh8u-grg0yjBG-EkZIHl9e3cbtyRnJCw2kMotQFvgki3lTqx39BagNc3g_ozBj4g YAq39PtirN2DScaZa_Ex9ttcPr8rgv-IalNSZwYYm5hVXPkQHUxsXTXf9N4ZYt/s3862/Bartons%20Ladies.jpg)
The insideis blessed with numerous original features, including richmahogany woodworking’s, stained and engraved windows and mirrors, snob-screens,a sweeping wrought-iron staircase and what the pub is best known for, its wall-to-walltiles, from shiny-glazed decorative patterns to huge painted scenes. Because ofthese features, the Barton’s was granted a Grade 2* listed heritage building status in 1976, one of the few pubs in thecountry to be so highly rate. This move helped preserve the pub for the nation,but it wasn’t quite out of the woods, as subsequent events were to prove.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOexpq2v_saFg3C-99fakaj5GRZs2fCfov0tTIf7Txp6rQWDv7ZO7YAjJEBQC_8Sq-Wzbv8DRBCU4m-VgwIEvNy3HdqV7tkU8E3ZJaKVmS1zxJheZn8I3gMclcXwUitzQ j53Q6r0i8ThwtatLjEeuhkx9B1H4UgMr9AtFa0FtTQbWrP_tBd BLHxNC/w264-h400/Bartons%20Menu.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOexpq2v_saFg3C-99fakaj5GRZs2fCfov0tTIf7Txp6rQWDv7ZO7YAjJEBQC_8Sq-Wzbv8DRBCU4m-VgwIEvNy3HdqV7tkU8E3ZJaKVmS1zxJheZn8I3gMclcXwUitzQ j53Q6r0i8ThwtatLjEeuhkx9B1H4UgMr9AtFa0FtTQbWrP_tBd BLHxNC/s3159/Bartons%20Menu.jpg)
I’m fairlycertain the Barton’s would have served Draught Bass at the time of my first visit,as by then Mitchells and Butlers had become part of the Bass empire, a companythat, at the time, were Britain’s largest brewing company. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, thanksin no small measure to fallout from the government's misguided attempt atreforming the brewing industry. The move, which was designed to increasecompetition within the trade, by breaking up the vast tied estates owned by companiessuch as Bass, led to the latter moving out of brewing altogether. Their former tied estate fell into the hands one of the variouspub owning companies (Pubcos) that sprang up to take the place of the bigbrewers, but unfortunately, the Pubcos proved even worse than the big brewers,especially when it came to looking after the pubs they owned. Somewhere alongthe line the Barton’s Arms fell into neglect and was even closed for a time. Itsfate seemed uncertain, as it stood like an island of Victoriana in a sea ofmodern development. There must have been a real concern that this treasured gemof a pub, could be pulled down and lost forever.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck5hQQX9YjNk_CVPhnZhNNeiFsq4pOZb9145i6cHsu3 Dm5ePSZmd9aeWUsOnkLvfnAqgGE4E8n2Hnnh3z9LlYNw4BxAen uVbtIoHpDlEEKReXUBg5vlE37xu4GzLOcOnDebRHyKM_wjB1Tv HZUcDWiaU9D-0luz8nMwpp5JK0SX_g8gwxcnmrgh5J/w400-h225/IMG_20230414_140720.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck5hQQX9YjNk_CVPhnZhNNeiFsq4pOZb9145i6cHsu3 Dm5ePSZmd9aeWUsOnkLvfnAqgGE4E8n2Hnnh3z9LlYNw4BxAen uVbtIoHpDlEEKReXUBg5vlE37xu4GzLOcOnDebRHyKM_wjB1Tv HZUcDWiaU9D-0luz8nMwpp5JK0SX_g8gwxcnmrgh5J/s4000/IMG_20230414_140720.jpg)
Fortunately, a knight in shining armour, in the guise of OakhamAles of Peterborough, who came along, purchased the property, andspent a considerable sum of money restoring it to its former glory. The pub reopenedin 2003, following three years of closure, and 20 years later, us five intrepidpub explorers walked in through its grandiose entrance, and experienced thisfully restored, late 19th Century masterpiece in all its glory.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEAAtZrHqrHz_L24gkH0M0JkwkT55bxEmjIglf2MoOl l4-lujekar8oT5N6cB5duTiGve-v5JsPH4wwcDi5dtt_QrCcb7YH-JxtLc85bh4Nf1-ccDkvp60ij9xudI99CP-YUJRMBviWuphXeH9pqb_5o7EmwbBN6UCco0x8BTmavgvmZG13G fW0kA/w400-h225/Bartons%20Long%20view.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEAAtZrHqrHz_L24gkH0M0JkwkT55bxEmjIglf2MoOl l4-lujekar8oT5N6cB5duTiGve-v5JsPH4wwcDi5dtt_QrCcb7YH-JxtLc85bh4Nf1-ccDkvp60ij9xudI99CP-YUJRMBviWuphXeH9pqb_5o7EmwbBN6UCco0x8BTmavgvmZG13G fW0kA/s4000/Bartons%20Long%20view.jpg)
The walk out to Aston had seemed very different from the oneI undertook nearly 30 years ago. The new buildings, whether they were high riseflats, or more modest dwellings; the new shops and other businesses, includingindustrial units, had all had several decades to mature and blend in with theirsurroundings. I can't pretend they were all attractive, but with plenty of treeplanting and other greening activity having taken place, the area had a lived-infeel to it, even though the fast-moving, A34 dual carriage way road at itsmidst, rather spoiled the effect.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xRvRFgf6tt-hsnZnbZuWbY_uOv_mxiOMfXRJ0hETVb8BvgvQCvxmmciJoHd7t Swtw2S5uYUAGu7GhtrU0TmAb6ms0FfkBY1mW8KOl9CSG5SaTLX yizB2O6-pBoH7b8_zIOxBGFmkuCh7qqom6PMnJLA-rv-owhAauFV2nUNcAn_dNLgHXy0kjs1r/w400-h225/IMG_20230414_143215.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xRvRFgf6tt-hsnZnbZuWbY_uOv_mxiOMfXRJ0hETVb8BvgvQCvxmmciJoHd7t Swtw2S5uYUAGu7GhtrU0TmAb6ms0FfkBY1mW8KOl9CSG5SaTLX yizB2O6-pBoH7b8_zIOxBGFmkuCh7qqom6PMnJLA-rv-owhAauFV2nUNcAn_dNLgHXy0kjs1r/s4000/IMG_20230414_143215.jpg)
Most of us paused outside to take photos of the impressiveexterior, before diving inside. We made ourselves at home in one of the roomsat the front of the pub, but before sitting down I took the opportunity of avisit to the Gents, to photograph as much of the interior as I could. There wereplenty of delights to occupy my camera’s lens, and with its multiple rooms, mahoganywoodwork, stained and engraved windows, mirrors, snob-screens, and its ornatewrought-iron staircase, I was spoiled for choice, but judge for yourselveswhether or not I succeeded in capturing the essence of this magnificent pub.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6CAMHgKH8mXvOONWztxG70cXSyhX-f9cF0ZSlGyCpeCuDl9-lmmq3Expm7HtyGXyN98lTi0X3aZUwfzOsn5-IkWdSpL4VVNx00nrcz-s2rNseQ_lxvYXwQYJ6yfgb4ObtXCPlqLEsiz8Jyzpi6guYzUF6 GUOstuV00m7G0ntvSiQNvKpyLrans5m/w225-h400/Bartons%20Dining%20Room.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6CAMHgKH8mXvOONWztxG70cXSyhX-f9cF0ZSlGyCpeCuDl9-lmmq3Expm7HtyGXyN98lTi0X3aZUwfzOsn5-IkWdSpL4VVNx00nrcz-s2rNseQ_lxvYXwQYJ6yfgb4ObtXCPlqLEsiz8Jyzpi6guYzUF6 GUOstuV00m7G0ntvSiQNvKpyLrans5m/s3959/Bartons%20Dining%20Room.jpg)
There were just two cask beers on sale at the Barton’s -Oakham Citra and Titanic Plum Porter, and I enjoyed a half of each. Thai cuisineis the pub’s main food offering, and an extensive menu prepared by real Thaichefs, is available to satisfy the hungriest of customers. Despite the appealof the food, I didn’t fancy a whole curry. Rice is not particularly conducive whenit comes to drinking large volumes of beer, due to their combined bloatingeffect, so I opted instead for a chicken satay wrap, served up with a portionof fries. This was just the right amount to soak up the beer, without fillingme up, too much.During our time at the pub, our observations turned into a discussionon whether a pub such as the Barton’s has much of a future, in such aculturally diverse neighbourhood. There seemed to be plenty of customers butgiven the size of the building their numbers weren’t really making much of adent on the amount of available space. Food for thought, perhaps, and a discussionfor another time, but if you haven’t been to the Barton’s, then you reallyshould make the effort, as historic pubs of this scale and grandeur, really arefew and far between.
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https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz_euN61SkM8H-kqLWN063Sj2KUKgUN4TMuqKfyGB2Rr0_tlGIP3rjIfFu3kWPqw R2nZzcuLgFVqwb-MTiA8SSEMKUztAayphQksOKa07VTGLEwYTEOAD5tMLqMfcBfG6 cSzq512d-skQaK7MsV3sIZKxo974jzhq3fSB8pZQ1RRLtEoWkZyE59pk/w400-h289/Bartons%20Arms%20ext.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz_euN61SkM8H-kqLWN063Sj2KUKgUN4TMuqKfyGB2Rr0_tlGIP3rjIfFu3kWPqw R2nZzcuLgFVqwb-MTiA8SSEMKUztAayphQksOKa07VTGLEwYTEOAD5tMLqMfcBfG6 cSzq512d-skQaK7MsV3sIZKxo974jzhq3fSB8pZQ1RRLtEoWkZyE59pk/s2333/Bartons%20Arms%20ext.jpg)
My visit the other Friday to the Barton’sArms at Aston, was in many ways the highlight of the trip I made toBirmingham. That is not to detract from the many other positives of the day, includingdecent beer, some fine pubs plus equally fine company. Setting foot inside thishigh temple to late Victorian pub design, was something really special, and anexperience that will stay in my mind for a long time, but – spoiler alert, itwas NOT my first visit to the Barton’s Arms.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkScewRYt7BdQTSTcjizQvntocgvWNBY6xJ-wvUwsHmPCcpcG2G7vLEc2v7b_nUJiE48_sx4XHogmz3UzUFLXX WSC-fPnx-1gA4ultPzro_AjqXiPSGcrRbpK8aH48s1JXyqHHk7y7oTo4TDK AAPZ_hlbw9s_BBuiy06toC7FUSHvMe52cmejiSWb/w400-h225/Bartons%20Gents.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkScewRYt7BdQTSTcjizQvntocgvWNBY6xJ-wvUwsHmPCcpcG2G7vLEc2v7b_nUJiE48_sx4XHogmz3UzUFLXX WSC-fPnx-1gA4ultPzro_AjqXiPSGcrRbpK8aH48s1JXyqHHk7y7oTo4TDK AAPZ_hlbw9s_BBuiy06toC7FUSHvMe52cmejiSWb/s4000/Bartons%20Gents.jpg)
My initial visit took place, sometime in the mid-1980s, butif I'm honest I can't remember exactly when it occurred during that period, orwhy |I was in Birmingham in the first place. I believe I there on business, andit would have been the time when I worked in the water treatment industry. Thetrouble is I never used to write things down, and with no Internet, no blog,and no social media, during the mid 80’s. there was really no need to report onsuch matters. What I do remember is the long walk out from central Birminghamto the Aston district of the city, where the pub is located. It seemed ratherdesolate at the time because a lot of urban clearance had taken place, and thisreminded me of similar clearance work I had witnessed a decade or so earlier, inthe Greater Manchester area.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AFmEkVMASPk114r1gvmE5lMdU1LEmgeGeFL6N419jl kzt53w4QFv12saoVJ8eVabpRkAc1W644pqmUdUBvb-B0B_7hcNgXdAu1zgCKMexxO5Zrv3PpktI7koKLmxzKvWJWrdY1 aN2dfDOYFsKSj0WAx3Z2FUMvZqTsgGr4izzPAB2BQkMbHTCYyP/w400-h225/IMG_20230414_140528.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AFmEkVMASPk114r1gvmE5lMdU1LEmgeGeFL6N419jl kzt53w4QFv12saoVJ8eVabpRkAc1W644pqmUdUBvb-B0B_7hcNgXdAu1zgCKMexxO5Zrv3PpktI7koKLmxzKvWJWrdY1 aN2dfDOYFsKSj0WAx3Z2FUMvZqTsgGr4izzPAB2BQkMbHTCYyP/s4000/IMG_20230414_140528.jpg)
The Barton’s Arms (https://www.thebartonsarms.com/) dates from 1901 and was built for Mitchellsand Butler who, even back then, were one of Birmingham’s premier breweries. Thepub is built of stone and red brick in a style that is said to be inspired bythe nearby Aston Hall and was regarded as the flagship pub of the Mitchell andButlers brewery estate. The imposing exterior includes shaped gables and a tallclock tower, with the building occupying a site at the junction of two roads. Itis one of the most spectacular survivors from the late Victorian era in the country,with one of the most beautifulpub interiors to match.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33R-Nmmw-wiH4scEKKnmqJKQpqgUUw89FBgZ3ZEYVPSB_O1FRRimRaqTx8d oh8u-grg0yjBG-EkZIHl9e3cbtyRnJCw2kMotQFvgki3lTqx39BagNc3g_ozBj4g YAq39PtirN2DScaZa_Ex9ttcPr8rgv-IalNSZwYYm5hVXPkQHUxsXTXf9N4ZYt/w400-h225/Bartons%20Ladies.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33R-Nmmw-wiH4scEKKnmqJKQpqgUUw89FBgZ3ZEYVPSB_O1FRRimRaqTx8d oh8u-grg0yjBG-EkZIHl9e3cbtyRnJCw2kMotQFvgki3lTqx39BagNc3g_ozBj4g YAq39PtirN2DScaZa_Ex9ttcPr8rgv-IalNSZwYYm5hVXPkQHUxsXTXf9N4ZYt/s3862/Bartons%20Ladies.jpg)
The insideis blessed with numerous original features, including richmahogany woodworking’s, stained and engraved windows and mirrors, snob-screens,a sweeping wrought-iron staircase and what the pub is best known for, its wall-to-walltiles, from shiny-glazed decorative patterns to huge painted scenes. Because ofthese features, the Barton’s was granted a Grade 2* listed heritage building status in 1976, one of the few pubs in thecountry to be so highly rate. This move helped preserve the pub for the nation,but it wasn’t quite out of the woods, as subsequent events were to prove.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOexpq2v_saFg3C-99fakaj5GRZs2fCfov0tTIf7Txp6rQWDv7ZO7YAjJEBQC_8Sq-Wzbv8DRBCU4m-VgwIEvNy3HdqV7tkU8E3ZJaKVmS1zxJheZn8I3gMclcXwUitzQ j53Q6r0i8ThwtatLjEeuhkx9B1H4UgMr9AtFa0FtTQbWrP_tBd BLHxNC/w264-h400/Bartons%20Menu.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOexpq2v_saFg3C-99fakaj5GRZs2fCfov0tTIf7Txp6rQWDv7ZO7YAjJEBQC_8Sq-Wzbv8DRBCU4m-VgwIEvNy3HdqV7tkU8E3ZJaKVmS1zxJheZn8I3gMclcXwUitzQ j53Q6r0i8ThwtatLjEeuhkx9B1H4UgMr9AtFa0FtTQbWrP_tBd BLHxNC/s3159/Bartons%20Menu.jpg)
I’m fairlycertain the Barton’s would have served Draught Bass at the time of my first visit,as by then Mitchells and Butlers had become part of the Bass empire, a companythat, at the time, were Britain’s largest brewing company. Dark clouds were gathering on the horizon, thanksin no small measure to fallout from the government's misguided attempt atreforming the brewing industry. The move, which was designed to increasecompetition within the trade, by breaking up the vast tied estates owned by companiessuch as Bass, led to the latter moving out of brewing altogether. Their former tied estate fell into the hands one of the variouspub owning companies (Pubcos) that sprang up to take the place of the bigbrewers, but unfortunately, the Pubcos proved even worse than the big brewers,especially when it came to looking after the pubs they owned. Somewhere alongthe line the Barton’s Arms fell into neglect and was even closed for a time. Itsfate seemed uncertain, as it stood like an island of Victoriana in a sea ofmodern development. There must have been a real concern that this treasured gemof a pub, could be pulled down and lost forever.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck5hQQX9YjNk_CVPhnZhNNeiFsq4pOZb9145i6cHsu3 Dm5ePSZmd9aeWUsOnkLvfnAqgGE4E8n2Hnnh3z9LlYNw4BxAen uVbtIoHpDlEEKReXUBg5vlE37xu4GzLOcOnDebRHyKM_wjB1Tv HZUcDWiaU9D-0luz8nMwpp5JK0SX_g8gwxcnmrgh5J/w400-h225/IMG_20230414_140720.jpg (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck5hQQX9YjNk_CVPhnZhNNeiFsq4pOZb9145i6cHsu3 Dm5ePSZmd9aeWUsOnkLvfnAqgGE4E8n2Hnnh3z9LlYNw4BxAen uVbtIoHpDlEEKReXUBg5vlE37xu4GzLOcOnDebRHyKM_wjB1Tv HZUcDWiaU9D-0luz8nMwpp5JK0SX_g8gwxcnmrgh5J/s4000/IMG_20230414_140720.jpg)
Fortunately, a knight in shining armour, in the guise of OakhamAles of Peterborough, who came along, purchased the property, andspent a considerable sum of money restoring it to its former glory. The pub reopenedin 2003, following three years of closure, and 20 years later, us five intrepidpub explorers walked in through its grandiose entrance, and experienced thisfully restored, late 19th Century masterpiece in all its glory.
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The walk out to Aston had seemed very different from the oneI undertook nearly 30 years ago. The new buildings, whether they were high riseflats, or more modest dwellings; the new shops and other businesses, includingindustrial units, had all had several decades to mature and blend in with theirsurroundings. I can't pretend they were all attractive, but with plenty of treeplanting and other greening activity having taken place, the area had a lived-infeel to it, even though the fast-moving, A34 dual carriage way road at itsmidst, rather spoiled the effect.
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Most of us paused outside to take photos of the impressiveexterior, before diving inside. We made ourselves at home in one of the roomsat the front of the pub, but before sitting down I took the opportunity of avisit to the Gents, to photograph as much of the interior as I could. There wereplenty of delights to occupy my camera’s lens, and with its multiple rooms, mahoganywoodwork, stained and engraved windows, mirrors, snob-screens, and its ornatewrought-iron staircase, I was spoiled for choice, but judge for yourselveswhether or not I succeeded in capturing the essence of this magnificent pub.
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There were just two cask beers on sale at the Barton’s -Oakham Citra and Titanic Plum Porter, and I enjoyed a half of each. Thai cuisineis the pub’s main food offering, and an extensive menu prepared by real Thaichefs, is available to satisfy the hungriest of customers. Despite the appealof the food, I didn’t fancy a whole curry. Rice is not particularly conducive whenit comes to drinking large volumes of beer, due to their combined bloatingeffect, so I opted instead for a chicken satay wrap, served up with a portionof fries. This was just the right amount to soak up the beer, without fillingme up, too much.During our time at the pub, our observations turned into a discussionon whether a pub such as the Barton’s has much of a future, in such aculturally diverse neighbourhood. There seemed to be plenty of customers butgiven the size of the building their numbers weren’t really making much of adent on the amount of available space. Food for thought, perhaps, and a discussionfor another time, but if you haven’t been to the Barton’s, then you reallyshould make the effort, as historic pubs of this scale and grandeur, really arefew and far between.
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