| The Bartons Arms | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Public house |
| Location | Aston, Birmingham, England |
| Completed | 1901 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | James and Lister Lea |
| Awards and prizes | Grade II* listed |
The Bartons Arms (grid reference SP072890) is a pub in the High Street (part of the A34) in the Newtown area of Aston, Birmingham, England.
Built in 1901 by noted pub architects partnership James and Lister Lea for Mitchells & Butlers, it is a grade II* listed building, famous for its wall-to-wall Minton-Hollins tiles and its snob screens, which allowed middle class drinkers to see working class drinkers in an adjacent bar, but not to be seen by them.
Laurel and Hardy once stayed there, after appearing at the adjacent Aston Hippodrome (now demolished, replaced by The Drum Arts Centre), and were photographed serving beer from behind the bar.
The pub features in the 1999 Atom Egoyan Birmingham-set film Felicia's Journey. It also features in the 2006 novel by Ron Dawson, The Last Viking: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Heist; the gang of robbers meet in the pub.
It was purchased in 2002 by Oakham Ales who restored the building to its former greatness. On 28 July 2006, the pub was damaged by fire, reportedly caused by an electrical fault.[1]
During the 2011 England riots, the pub was looted, windows were smashed, and fires started, albeit quickly doused by the manager, Wichai Thumjaron.[2] Up to eight shots were fired at police who attended the incident.[3]
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