When the owners of Union Inns took over The Woodman in Digbeth, the Victorian boozer had fallen into disrepair. Dating back to 1897, they set about restoring and protecting The Woodman’s heritage features and multi-roomed layout—resulting in, officially, one of the UK’s best-looking pubs.
A new wooden floor was laid, the historic Minton-tiling walls were carefully cleaned and conserved, and the beautiful, ornate woodwork has been restored. For all this hard work, The Woodman has now won the Historic England Conservation category in CAMRA’s prestigious Pub Design Awards.
“The Woodman in Birmingham is an outstanding example of how thoughtful conservation can allow historic buildings to live on, securing them for future generations to enjoy,” said Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, co-CEOs of Historic England.
The award celebrates “the careful preservation of heritage architectural features whilst updating facilities – securing it for future generations to enjoy.” Located right next to the Old Curzon Street Station, which looks to be reopened as part of HS2 in the near future, the pub will serve as an impressive first port of call for passengers.
Andrew Davison, Chair of the Pub Design Awards judging panel, added: “In these troubled times, the pub still has a key role to play in our communities, and those who are working to conserve, repair and renovate them should rightfully be applauded.”
Everything from the terracotta exterior to its cosy library room makes The Woodman a pleasant pitstop for a pint. The Grade 2 listed boozer is best known for its range of hard-to-find cask ales, but also offers lagers, stouts and ciders, as well as everything from spirits to coffee. Plus, you can tuck into some proper pub grub!
To learn more about The Woodman, head here.
