Historic England Award for Conservation 2023 winner Black Lion, London
The search is on to find the best-looking pubs in the UK as the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) gears up to launch its Pub Design Awards.
People are now being encouraged to nominate the most impressive examples of recent work to pubs – whether an outstanding refurbishment, a clever conversion or the construction of an entirely new pub. The next winners could be on your doorstep!
Held in conjunction with Historic England, these prestigious and much sought-after awards look to reward the highest standards of design in the refurbishment and conservation of existing pubs, as well as new built pubs and conversions to pub use.
Judged by a panel of experts in design and conservation, the awards were first established in 1983. And in that time, a wide range of pubs the length and breadth of the UK have been honoured and a spotlight put on their impressive achievements and hard work.
Each of our winners have a story to tell; all underpinned with examples of people’s dedication and commitment which deserves to be honoured. Whether a brand-new pub, or one restored to reflect its rich history and heritage, CAMRA wants to hear from you. To give an idea of what the judges are looking for, examples of previous winners can be found on our website.
There are five different categories of award, and pubs can be entered in single or multiple categories:
· New Build: An award for newly built pubs, whether reflecting traditional design or completely modern.
· Conversion to Pub Use: Outstanding conversions of buildings which were built for other purposes.
· Refurbishment: An award for flair, quality and originality in pub renovation.
· Historic England Conservation: Sponsored by HE, this award is given for work which conserves what is good in the pub whilst upgrading its facilities to give it a viable future.
· Community Local: Reserved for outstanding refurbishments of ‘street-corner locals’.
Andrew Davison, Chair of CAMRA’s Pub Design Awards says:
“There are so many fine examples across the UK of excellent new pubs, conversions to pub use, and refurbishments of existing pubs which we want to celebrate and highlight.
“The Pub Design Awards are a wonderful opportunity for proud owners and managers to showcase the flair, originality and quality of design and workmanship that they have put into their pubs.
“In addition, the publicity the awards give encourages pub lovers along with design and heritage enthusiasts to pay a visit to these inspirational buildings.”
The Pub Design Awards are open to all UK pubs, and anyone can nominate. Entrants may be asked to provide additional photographs and plans of the building; therefore, the licensee should be aware of and approve the entry.
To enter the awards, work will need to have been completed between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023.
The competition is free to enter and closes on 19 November. To enter and see examples of previous winners, please visit: https://camra.org.uk/what-we-do/pub-design-awards/
