Springfield Hotel 47 Springfield Road Wigan

An impressive three-storey building of red brick and orange terracotta in Free Renaissance style with a turret and impressive pediments over the two main entrances. It was built 1903 by Heaton and Ralph of Wigan for Oldfield Brewery and retains most of its ornate Edwardian multi-roomed interior though there has been some opening out. An old bell box high up in the lobby bar shows 'Billiard Room', 'Gents Rm', 'Commercial Rm', 'Lounge', 'Front Room' and 'Sitting Room' and all six are still readily identifiable.

The chief glory is the huge island screened servery, a symphony in heavily carved mahogany, which is one of the finest in the country - the lower rising sashes are missing but that's all. It's arguably worth recognising as a Heritage Pub for this alone. There is though much else to admire, notably lots of Art Nouveaux design green tiling in the inner lobby, the passage leading to the lobby bar and the lobby bar itself. There are also etched windows, original fireplaces, ornate cornices and some original fixed seating.

The inner lobby has a good dado of green tiles with Art Nouveau-style designs and the inner door is situated in a full height screen with etched glass side panels. The passage leading to the lobby bar and around the lobby bar itself is a further dado of green tiles with Art Nouveau designs. To the left of the lobby is the Darby Lounge, formerly the Front Room and Lounge, with a doorway into the Front Room and a big mahogany arched opening between the lobby bar and the lounge. A montage photo in the pub, dating from shortly after the opening, shows that this wide arch opening has always been the arrangement. The lounge retains original fixed seating with bell pushes and two Victorian tiled, cast-iron and wood surround fireplaces; also a good cornice and is now a venue for karaoke. On the far left in a single storey extension is the former Billiard Room, now a function room. It retains two sets of ‘Billiard’, ‘Room’ windows advertising he billiard room: the fixed seating appears post-war but there are signs of older bell pushes above.

The land has now been sold off for housing. The Commercial Room on the front right has an unusual vestibule-like screened entrance with original fixed seating and bell pushes all around, a ‘Commercial Room’ etched window and others, but some original ones lost, and retains the refreshed Edwardian tiled, new cast-iron and wood surround fireplace with pillars holding up the shelves above. Another dado tiled lobby on the right (Rylands Street) side with a ‘Springfield Hotel’ etched panel in the inner door situated in a full-height screen. A door off the lobby leads into the Vault (or Gents' Room) with a new tiled floor and an impressive carved mahogany screened servery with reaches up to the high ceiling with a number of columns and glazed panels, but this was installed by Tetley Walker in 1990 as a copy of the lobby bar one. This small room has a very good cornice, wall bench seating attached to the dado panelling, a ‘Bar’ etched window and domino tables.

Opened up to the corridor near the toilets on 1990 is the small ‘Sitting Room’ with a pool table. The fixed seating here looks post-war and there are some stained and leaded windows. An old advertising poster in the lobby bar area shows the former bowling greens with the wording 'Noted for its spacious bowling greens recognised to be the finest in the country. Special facilities to cater for charabanc parties etc. covered stands accommodate 2,000 spectators.' The land at the rear of the pub was sold off in post war times and the bowling greens were where there is now a housing estate. The pub was sold by Punch Taverns in 2012 and real ale installed by the new owner.

Reference           CAMERA Historic Pub Interiors