Monument record 15035 - The Blackburne Arms, Orford Green, Warrington

<1> Paddock Johnson Partnership Architects, 2019, Retirement Living Development On Land of The Blackburne Arms, Orford Green, Warrington, WA2 8PL: Heritage Statement, R4377 (Client Report). SCH8796.

A heritage statement was produced in 2019 in support of proposed re-development of land of The Blackburne Arms, Orford Green, Warrington. The Blackburne Arms Public House is a locally listed heritage asset.

The site of the Blackburne Arms is in an area known as Orford meaning ‘upper ford’ which until the early twentieth century was little more than a small hamlet. The site lies to the north of Orford Park which in the 17th century was the estate to an impressive country house, Orford Hall which was demolished in the 1930’s. The original Orford Hall dated back to 1232 but was later rebuilt and then extended by the Blackburne family who purchased the property in 1638. The last owner Colonel Robert Ireland Blackburne allowed the hall and 18 acres of surrounding parkland to be gifted to Warrington Council as a War memorial after which it was opened to the public and a bowling green added in 1924.

Likely named after the Blackburne family, the Blackburne Arms was built between 1928 and 1937 and is a classic example of the ‘inter-war pub’. After the end of the first world war there was a rejection of the Victorian era pub synonymous with drunk and disorderliness and breweries began to rebuild or build new pubs to attract a new type of clientele. Many included games rooms, ballrooms, sperate smoking rooms and large gardens to encourage women and children. The detached buildings were often on prominent corner sites and set back from the highway with plenty of space for cars to pull-up and park. Approximately 5,000 inter-war pubs were built between 1918 and 1939.

The predominant styles of inter war pubs were Neo-Georgian and Neo-Tudor or Tudor Revival, the latter widely known at the time as ‘Brewers Tudor’. The neo-Georgian style was, in general, viewed as being more successful in its architectural impact and came to be the preferred style of prominent inter-war pub architects.

The Blackburne Arms is predominately red brick with sandstone dressings, overhanging eaves and slate roof, the building is in the Tudor Revival Style with front facing gable featuring half timbering in the upper storey, infilled with herringbone brick and render, and groups of narrow windows separated by stone mullions with small leaded panes of glass. The building was extended and altered in the 1990’s to create a conservatory, and improved toilet and kitchen facilities, externally the rest of the building is deemed to be largely original other than general repairs carried out over time.

Whilst the Blackburne Arms broadly follows the Tudor Revival style it is a relatively rudimentary example of the application of the style and lacks the quality and detail found in other similar inter-war pubs. Features such as tall, prominent chimney stacks, projecting first floor features, differing of materials ground to first, diamond shaped leaded panes and other decorative features are not present in this example. Internally the building has been adapted and refurbished over time and few original features remain particularly in the main bar areas. Original interior features of interest are limited to decorative cornicing in some rooms, timber panelling and balustrading in the stair well, a small number of original internal doors and tiling to an old cloakroom.