Art Deco in Peril: The Iron Duke, Great Yarmouth

The Iron Duke in Great Yarmouth, once flagship of Norfolk brewers Lacons, is perhaps the most complete art deco pub in the country in terms of both conception and preservation, but its survival is currently under threat, writes Caroline Jones of The Friends of the Iron Duke

The Iron Duke in Great Yarmouth is a rare and unusually grand example of an art deco public house, built in the late 1930s as the flagship of the town’s Lacons Brewery. Founded in 1760, at its height Lacons was producing around 25 million pints a year, and owned over 300 pubs, including 50 in London. In 1935, it decided to create a statement pub on Jellicoe Road, just by the seafront of this thriving Norfolk resort.

The design was entrusted to the multitalented Arthur William Ecclestone (1901–1984), who served as both chief surveyor and a director of the brewery, and later became the town’s mayor and a vigorous local historian. Ecclestone produced pubs in wide range of styles for Lacons in Great Yarmouth and beyond. For the Avenue (1929) on Beatty Road, just a few minutes walk from the Iron Duke, he produced an imposing Tudoresque façade, while the Never Turn Back in Caister–on-Sea, built in 1956, is a stunning design with art deco and modern features, and was Grade II listed in May 2018. However, the Iron Duke is usually hailed as his finest building, and was awarded its own Grade II listing the previous year.

With its distinctive curved frontages and flat roofs, its protruding loggia and fluted columns, the Iron Duke is in many ways a classic art deco design, although embroidered by the distinctive use of knapped flint flushwork finely inlaid into its red brickwork – a feature drawn from the Norfolk vernacular, and employed on many of Lacons public houses. Everything was bespoke, employing highly skilled master builders and artisans – Lacons had its own workshops in Great Yarmouth, Diss, Cambridge and London. Even the rain hoppers bear the crest of HMS Iron Duke, the flagship of the fleet under the command of Admiral John Jellicoe at the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

On the south elevation, there is a raised plaque in glazed ceramic with Lacons’ trademark falcon emblem – such decorative ceramics were a favoured motif of Lacons’ pubs, and falcon motifs are a familiar sight in Great Yarmouth and elsewhere. The Prince of Wales pub, just north of London’s Clapham Common, still boasts one such ceramic plaque, and also retains its original Lacons fireplace. Similarly, the Magdalen Arms in Gorleston-on-Sea, just north of the river Yare near Great Yarmouth, has hoppers bearing the brewery’s falcon.

The interior of the pub survives in its original configuration, although it is uncertain if the original hand-painted murals of the Battle of Jutland survive behind boards. The pub retains many of its original fittings, including mirrors and tiles, while the bars, made from teak taken from HMS Iron Duke, still survive. The tiled floors are laid in a basket-weave design, and the cellars are vast, with plank-and-batten doors and a small lift shaft. There are few surviving pubs from the interwar period retaining so many original features, and even fewer of this calibre.

Construction started on the Iron Duke in the 1930s, although work was halted by the start of the Second World War. The pub was still able to play its part in the war effort, however. A special licence was granted so that it could serve the troops stationed locally. The Iron Duke officially opened its doors in 1948, and traded successfully for many years. In 1968, Lacons decided to sell out to Whitbread – subsequently Whitbread discontinued brewing Lacons beers, but the Iron Duke was always a popular public house among both holiday makers and locals, described by the Whitbread area manager as the busiest pub in their portfolio in East Anglia.

Sadly, its current owners, Bourne Leisure, parent company of Haven, Butlin’s and Warner Leisure Hotels, have no interest in retaining the Iron Duke, boarding up the pub in 2007 with the intention of demolishing it. The condition of the building has since deteriorated due to the neglect. The Friends of the Iron Duke applied to list the pub in August 2017, which was granted in November – Bourne Leisure immediately appealed unsuccessfully against the listing. The Friends of the Iron Duke have tried to engage with Bourne Leisure to discuss the future of the pub, but have had no response. Bourne Leisure have repeatedly refused offers to sell, stating that they will not open the pub or sell it, and will oppose compulsory purchase, essentially blocking this historic pub’s future.

Prior to Historic England's site inspection, Bourne Leisure removed both of the Lacons falcons that were positioned on either side of the entrance, and also the pub’s bespoke rain hoppers. However, they were included in the subsequent listing and thus should be returned to the building – the items’ current whereabouts are, however, unknown. There has always been commercial interest in retaining the Iron Duke as a going concern, and the Friends of the Iron Duke will continue to campaign for its preservation. Looking to the future, we believe compulsory purchase by Great Yarmouth Borough Council is the only way forward, ensuring Ecclestone’s finest building will be faithfully restored, and be open for everyone to enjoy.

Great Yarmouth remains a popular holiday destination, attracting around six million visitors a year, and the Iron Duke has the potential to once again be a huge asset for the town. It is the gateway to the seafront, and offers beautiful sea views. The campaign to save the beleaguered pub has attracted interest far beyond Norfolk – in the last few years, its plight has been featured in Private Eye and The Observer, and last year it was included in SAVE’s annual ‘Buildings at Risk’ catalogue. The Iron Duke, currently included in the Sainsbury Centre’s eclectic ‘Art Deco by the Sea’ exhibition, celebrating all things art deco in our seaside towns, is an asset to the local community and to architectural heritage, and it deserves a future.

The Friends of the Iron Duke would like to thank everyone for their continued support for the campaign to save the pub. The Friends has a flourishing website – www.friendsoftheironduke.co.uk – and are active on multiple social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. If you would like to get involved, please do make contact via any of our sites.