The most beautiful pubs in Britain: From street corner locals to attractive village beer houses, Camra reveals the UK's best-looking boozers
The venues from Suffolk to Staffordshire and Surrey to Norfolk are the winners of the Pub Design Awards 2025 run by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).
Judges who are experts in design and conservation highlighted some of the UK's most visually stunning, historically significant and lovingly restored pubs.
The winners were the Druid Inn in Gorsedd, North Wales; Borough Beer House in Farnham, Surrey; Forester in Ealing, London; Swan in Stratford St Mary, Suffolk; Bod in Lichfield, Staffordshire; and Peasants' Tavern in North Walsham, Norfolk.
Andrew Davison, the judging panel chair, said: 'From inviting street-corner locals to striking medieval coaching inns, there are some stunning pubs in the UK.
'The craftmanship involved in making these venues a gorgeous place to enjoy cask beer and real cider or perry should rightfully be applauded.'
However, Camra awards committee chair Gary Timmins added that this year's results were 'tinged with sadness' because another winner had to close for good.
The Python's Arms in Lyonshall, Herefordshire, was only converted from a 13th century rural farm a year ago, but has now shut due to financial pressures.
Here are the winners of each category in the Camra Pub Design Awards 2025:
Historic England Conservation Award
Winner: Swan in Stratford St Mary, Suffolk
'The Grade II-listed timber-framed pub, believed to date back to the 17th century, has been carefully renovated and conserved by Boudica Inns, owned by Mark and Sophie Dorber.
'A glazed conservatory housing a new bar, servery and dining area has been added to the original building, designed by architects KLH of Ipswich.
'Judges admired how the contemporary design of the large extension, with an exterior finished in steel and glass, made a striking contrast between the older elements of the pub.'
New Build Award
Winner: Bod in Lichfield, Staffordshire
'Titanic brewery, Stoke-on-Trent has previously won awards for its conversions of existing buildings, but this is the first time that it has created a building from scratch.
'Architect and designer Mark Smith of Mark Smith Design has included several trademark bod design elements in an imaginative and stylish fashion.
'Judges admired the pub's industrial chic design, which makes use of recycled wood, distressed paintwork, quirky light fittings and exposed ceiling pipes.
'The judging panel felt the new pub was a great addition to Lichfield's beer scene.'
Joint winner: Borough Beer House in Farnham, Surrey
'A conversion of the former Bailiff's Hall in the historic Grade II-listed Town Hall Buildings, dating from 1674.
'Owner Mark Curran oversaw the conversion of the former dress shop, sensitively retaining existing features, including beamed ceilings, period fireplaces, wood panelling and a herringbone pattern floor.
'Custom crafted benches have been designed to be in keeping with the historic character of the building.'
'A conversion of a 13th century rural farm building at Penrhos Court, which once housed the Penrhos brewery owned by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, owners Mark Bentham and Laura Lane have carried out a thorough renovation of this characterful building. Judges praised the rustic décor noting characterful design touches such as the lobby doorhandle shaped in the form of a python.'
Refurbishment Award
Winner: Druid Inn in Gorsedd, North Wales
'The latest addition to a small group of pubs owned by Pubs, a company set up by Jerry Brunning of Brunning and Price, and his wife Beth.
'Acquired in June 2023 after closure by Thwaites brewery, the Druid reopened in March 2024 after an extensive yet thoughtful renovation.
'Judges praised the refurbishment noting the pub's cosy nooks and crannies, a welcoming central bar, comfortable seating, quirky artwork, soft lighting, roaring fireplaces and a private dining room.'
Commended: Peasants' Tavern, North Walsham, Norfolk
'Owner Charlie Holden employed DCP Architecture of Rackheath, Norwich, to design and oversee the refurbishment of the former market tavern.
'The interior has been given a careful make-over, with quality woodwork and furnishings finished in shades of green. Judges noted the use of old maps to relieve what might otherwise have been a rather dark interior as an interesting feature.'
Winner: Forester, Ealing, West London
'A Grade II-listed pub featured in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, with Edwardian fireplaces, art nouveau-style stained glass and even long-defunct remnants of gas lighting in the public bar.
'Owner Fuller's has carried out a very respectful refurbishment of the building, carefully conserving the historic features, and adding a first-floor function room to enhance the facilities the pub has to offer its community.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
12 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I had a gastric sleeve operation and have been taking Mounjaro for ten months but still can't cut out my favourite treats. This is my radical plan for finally tackling the nation's obesity problem: JENNI MURRAY
Four years ago, I had to ban myself from entering Marks & Spencer's Food Hall. It used to be my favourite supermarket but I realised I was too weak to resist the many temptations on offer. I vowed I'd only buy my groceries online. But in November, I had to buy petrol and the nearest pumps were attached to an M&S. Oh the horror when I realised I would have to go into the shop to pay for my petrol, to walk past the shelves of cakes and pizzas I'd forbidden myself.
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Card Factory selling £4 scented candle dupe of pricey NEOM version – and it's perfect for thank you teacher gifts
CARD Factory is now stocking some luscious scented candles, which would make the perfect gift for end-of-year teacher presents. As part of its Forest Retreat range, the lavender and chamomile candles retails for just £3.99, much less than the Neom branded ones of which they are a dupe. 3 Neom's lavender and chamomile equivalent, which is pitched as helping users get a good night's sleep, sells for a whopping £20. Card Factory's candle comes in a blue glass jar with a floral design, and features a wooden lid with a seal for keeping the fragrance in. It is available in store and online, but those keen to get their hands on it, need to get in quick as stocks are low. Candle-mania The Neom dupes are not the only bargain scented candles that Card Factory has on offer. It recently launched a Yankee Candles dupe, which is budget-friendly as the branded ones can cost up to around £65 for a gift set. Fans of the fragrant candles rushed to their local Card Factory, after hearing there's a set reduced to just £2. Given that it's a set of six, it works out at just 33p each. Lynsay took to the to share her find, after stumbling across the set in her local high street store. "Great sale on in Card Factory just now," she wrote, adding that she'd found the deal in the Edinburgh store. The same set - containing the soft cotton, pink sand sunset, exotic fruits, cherry vanilla, vanilla frosting and pomegranate coconut votives - retails for £12 in Argos. Candle Safety at Home While candles can be a beautiful addition to the home, it is essential to follow critical safety advice in order to keep your house safe. Candles are the most common cause of house fires, according to the London Fire Brigade, and suggested people switch to LED candles to get the same lighting effect, at a higher safety threshold. The LFB advises people to, never leave candles, incense sticks and oil burners unattended and to make to put them out when leaving a room or before going to sleep. Keep candles in heat-resistant holders on a stable surface and don't put them close to anything that can catch fire, such as curtains, papers, furniture, and clothes. Make sure your candles, including matches and lighters, are out of reach of children and pets.
The Sun
16 minutes ago
- The Sun
Man makes £20k a month from side hustle that 11m Brits could also do – it's effortless and can be done all year round
A MAN has revealed he makes a whopping £20,000 a month from a little known side hustle, that requires hardly any effort. Barrie Taube, owns 150 garages and 300 car parking spaces across the country, and rents them out to people in need of storage space. 2 2 Renting Out Garages The property investor and surveyor charges between £50 to £150 a month for garages, and between £30 and £60 for car parking spaces. 'We rent to people who live in blocks of flats; we will approach them and see if they want to rent them out", Barrie, who owns that garages through his business Southern Land Securities, told The i Paper. "For the car parking spaces, they might have an extra car or just want an extra space." Barrie revealed that he also rents out his parking spaces to people who need them for a short period of time, such as if they are attending a football match or a concert. In the UK, an estimated 11 million people own a garage, with half of these not used to store cars. That means that millions of Brits could also be cashing in on this side hustle. Hardly Any Maintenance The investor also owns many properties which he rents out to tenants, but revealed that renting out garages comes with many advantages, such as the lack of upkeep. 'There's not much to maintain, just the roof, walls and the garage door", he said. 'If the roof is leaking, you make the decision whether to mend it but, in general, when someone signs the lease, they agree to maintain it and to give it back in the condition they rented it in.' He added that it also costs a lot less to purchase garages, which cost around £10,000 to £30,000 in most locations. I earn cash by selling 'actual rubbish' on eBay - I flogged a freebie I found on the floor by a bin for £10, it's crazy In Mayfair, garages can sell for up to £300,000, however, Barrie explained that people in these areas are happy to pay much more to keep their posh cars safe. 'If you had a garage in Mayfair, you could get £500 a month or more in rent", he said. "If someone has a car worth a few hundred thousand pounds, they will pay this to know it's safe.' How to make cash from renting out your garage If you have spare garage space, you can make cash by renting it out for storage, using websites such as Stashbee and Storemates. You can also advertise your garage on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. When listing your garage, make sure to include key details, such as photographs, the size of the space, notable features, and whether the area has its own independent access. It is also a good idea to arrange viewings, to make sure the space is right for potential renters. Make sure to take any costs into account, as Stashbee charges a 5% fee on bookings, while Storemates deducts 16.5% plus 20p from each payment. Gumtree generally offers free advertisements, but specific surcharges apply for garage storage or car parking listings (£8.79) and for linking to an external website (£6.59). According to Stuart Collar-Brown, from online auctioneer Bidx1 UK garages are much more profitable than buy-to-let properties, pulling in yields averaging 10 percent, compared with a 4.75 percent average for rental properties. Landlords Ditching Properties To Rent Out Garages 'Garages offer a great alternative to storage costs for tradesmen, so they'll perform well in densely populated residential areas, especially where houses are rows of Victorian houses [and] where parking on the street is tricky due to a lack of driveways, so demand will outstrip supply.' He added that, in light of the Renters Reform Bill, which is set to come in over the coming months, many landlords are switching their business to garages. 'We're definitely seeing a shift of residential landlords into non-residential assets, so this would include commercial, industrial, garages and other similar asset classes,' he said. 'The sheer amount of red tape that landlords have to wade through now is becoming too much hassle, so they are looking for an easier way to earn yields on their investment." Arguably, the council are no longer building garages either, so the fact that they are not building more suggests, long term, there will be some capital appreciation too.' However, Barrie revealed that since many people have now cottoned on to the fact that garages are good investments, they are reluctant to sell. He added that it can be harder to get loans on garages than properties as banks often ask for larger deposits.
