Camra Heritage award for 19th century pub near Dudley
Historic Sedgley pub wins prestigious accolade
Sympathetic restoration work at a Black Country pub has been rewarded with a runners-up spot in a new national awards scheme for heritage pubs.
The Beacon Hotel in Sedgley, Dudley, took second place in the inaugural Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) Heritage Pub Revival Award.
The award recognises pubs and pub operators which have revived the fortunes of historic pubs by preserving their features, benefitting the business and having a positive impact on the local community.
The pub in Bilston Street was praised for its new conservatory, which had been sympathetically blended in with the historic architecture of the building, and for the conversion of a former staff room to provide a new area for customers.
Work is now taking place on a new cask wash, cold store and workshop designed by the same architect as the conservatory, which will replace an ugly postwar outbuilding.
The national winner was The North Star in Steventon, Oxfordshire.
Shelly Bentley, awards director for Camra, presented the award to Beacon Hotel owner Simon Massey at a ceremony on Saturday night.
The Grade II listed pub and home of the Sarah Hughes Brewery was nominated by Camra’s Dudley and South Staffordshire branch.
Mrs Bentley said judges had looked for pubs where improvement work had improved their financial position and had an impact on the community.
She said the design of the conservatory blended in beautifully with the rest of the pub.
Great lengths had been taken by the architect and builders to sensitively replace the previous conservatory, which dated back to the early 1990s.
She said: "Camra wishes the team here at the Beacon every success in the future and hope the extra seating is appreciated by the customers, especially with the busy Christmas period coming up.”
Mr Massey thanked all his staff and the craftsmen from the local area who worked on the project.
"This is a community pub and we have pride in everything about Sedgley and bringing the local community together," he said.
The conservatory and the new outbuilding were designed by architect Andy Law of HPC Design, Sedgley.
The work was carried out by Whites Building, of Kinver.
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