Thieves have stripped the lead – will vandals appear next?
Photo Credit: Mr D. R. Smith.
Grade II*-listed, 1907, Wood and Kendrick
Built by Wood and Kendrick in 1907 as a showcase for brewers Mitchells & Butlers, the Waterloo was always intended to impress. Behind the baroque façade is a superb interior with an amazing restaurant with original grill, still in working order, and highly decorated tiles cover walls and ceiling. The importance of the Waterloo was recognised by English Heritage in 1999 when it upgraded the pub to Grade II*, but the last few years have seen a decline and it is now closed and in a deplorable state. Recent lead thefts will undoubtedly cause severe damage from water ingress. CAMRA’s Heritage Pubs website has great pictures of the wonderful tiled interior to the basement grill room. We believe this is intact – but for how much longer?
Status Update / March 2026
Following a transfer of ownership in 2012, the upper floors of the building have been turned to residential occupation. The former pub on the ground floor nevertheless remains boarded up and there are no signs of a restoration project on the horizon. When a fire started in the building in early 2022, there was fortunately no significant damage to the architecturally significant bar area, but the local authority conservation officer was alerted to the risks of allowing the site to remain in its current state. In July 2023, the council served a notice to the owner to urgently secure and repair the building.
Doorway detail. Photo by Tony Hisgett