News: October 2010

The family home of Lord Lucan and a building that once provided a refuge for King Charles I during the English Civil War are the two winners in the Campaign for Real Ale’s latest pub design awards.

The awards, presented annually, seek to recognise outstanding contributions to the refurbishment and reconstruction of pubs and this year’s leading lights are Sutton Hall, Macclesfield, and The Brewery Tap, Chester.

Sutton Hall – winner of the refurbishment category – is a Grade II-listed, 17th-century building with timber-framing, stone walls and herringbone brickwork. It was the family home of the Earls of Lucan before being turned into a ‘real ale gastropub’ by pub group Brunning and Price. CAMRA commended the research that had been undertaken into its history prior to refurbishment commencing and the fact that it has retained many rooms of varying sizes.

The Brewery Tap – winner of the English Heritage conversion/conversion to pub use category – is another Grade II-listed structure, a medieval townhouse that recently served as a Pizza Express outlet before being converted to a pub. King Charles stayed here in 1645 while the Battle of Rowton Moor raged outside the city of Chester.

At the discretion of the judges, no awards were made this year in the categories for new build or best street-corner local (the Joe Goodwin Award).