Justice for Bermondsey pub restored to former glory

5 December 2022

Southwark Council is delighted to celebrate the restoration of inside The Old Justice, Bermondsey.

• The Old Justice is a Grade II Listed public house in Bermondsey designed by famous architect Sidney C Clark
• The historic pub has had starring roles in Sir Paul McCartney’s film ‘Give My Regards to Broad Street’ and his music video for the hit song ‘No More Lonely Nights’
• Following action from Southwark Council, the beautiful interior has been fully restored to its original condition using traditional methods

Constructed in 1933 in the ‘brewers Tudor’ style, the pub’s interior has splendid timber panels, and a bar and lounge.

In 2017, it was Grade II listed by Historic England as a ‘rare, particularly well-preserved example of a small-scale urban pub influenced by the improved pub movement, giving a tangible sense of how such pubs would have looked and operated in the 1930s’.

Soon after its listing, the bar and timber panelling was removed without Listed Building Consent by the pub’s owners. Unauthorised works to a listed building are a criminal offence. The council took planning enforcement action requiring the interior be restored using what was left of the bar and traditional joinery methods.

The council supervised the restoration of pub’s interior, which were led by local conservation architects Purcell. The owners paid for the works which finished in June 2022. The lease is currently being marketed for public house use.

Cllr James McAsh, cabinet member for climate emergency & sustainable development, said: “I’m delighted that The Old Justice’s stunning interior has been restored to its former glory. It would have been a terrible shame to lose such a beautiful piece of Southwark’s history. I’d like to thank the local community who played an important role in helping preserve the heritage of the pub.

“Listed buildings, such as The Old Justice, are considered of national importance with special architectural or historic interest. We take our duty to protect listed buildings very seriously and will always investigate reports of unauthorised works.”

Dan Press, architect from Purcell, said: “It was a privilege for our London team to lend their expertise to the restoration of the Old Justice, where we were appointed by the LPA and Southwark Council to repair and reinstate the pub’s bar servery using traditional methods.

“Applying our specialist knowledge of historic joinery techniques and forensic capabilities, we worked alongside Coniston and Blou Construction to return the historic public house’s interior to its original state. The Old Justice now has a sustainable future and is one step closer to serving its community once more.”

If you believe works to listed buildings have taken place without consent, contact planning.enforcement@southwark.gov.uk or call 020 7525 5403.

Page last updated: 05 December 2022