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GLOUCESTERSHIRE - Bristol, King's Head National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Part One 60 Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6DE Tel: 0117 927 7860 Public Transport: Railway Station: Bristol Temple Meads Listed Status: Grade II View this pub on a local map
A mid 17th-century building with a wonderful long, narrow, one room bar, the King's Head can justifiably boast a unique interior and some of the oldest bar fittings in the whole of the UK. The interior was refurnished about 1865 and again probably about the turn of the nineteenth century. Running all along the right hand wall is a wonderful bar-back of c.1865 with a series of arches and high-level gilded, green and black glass panels advertising various drinks. There is a bar counter also of c.1865 (the counter top, however, is of 1998) with decorative brackets stretching halfway into the building with only a narrow area for drinking in front of it and around the front window where they is some old fixed seating.
The majority of the rear half of the pub contains the curiously named 'Tamcar Bar' - a snug shaped like a tramcar with just a narrow passage running alongside it to give access to the snug, toilets and rear door. It looks as though the counter was much larger but it seems it was cut back for the insertion of the delightful partitioned-off area. Prior to the insertion of the tramcar bar, apart from the small seated area at the front under the window, it was probably a stand-up only drinking establishment. The six sections of the bar back in the front area have gilded panels advertising 'Claret', 'Hollands', 'Cigars', 'Mineral Waters', 'Cigars' and 'Port & Sherry'. In the Tramcar bar part the wording is 'French Brandy', 'Irish & Scotch Whiskey' (note the 'e' - nowadays the Irish product is always spelled with an ‘e’ and the Scotch one without, a distinction that only became normal in the twentieth century.) 'Jamaica Rum', 'London Gin', 'Cordials'. Note that the shelf of the bar back fitting at bar counter level is of white marble. Most sections of the bar back have a mirrored panel. The fourth section of the back fitting contains a colourful large glass panel in gold, green, cream and red advertising 'BURTON ALES AND DUBLIN STOUT' (signed by one, Fred Brean). The fifth section is a door to the XXXXXX. The final 'Cordials' panel is also a door to private quarters. The back fitting has columns with capitals holding up the top section.
All the way down the left hand side of the pub is old dado tongue and groove panelling, which is also on the right hand side of the 'tramcar' section. The entrance to the snug is via a door at the rear held open by an iron rod. The wooden partition walls of the snug have a glazed panel at both the front and rear. The short section the other side of the door is held in place by a cast-iron stay to the ceiling, it has with seating round the sides and bell-pushes for waiter service. There is a hatch / flap / doorway at the bar end of the tramcar bar for service and access for staff. There are two tiny toilets (WCs) formed by part glazed partitions situated adjacent to the rear wall - note the 'Ladies Only' in black and red on cream coloured glass panel on the door. The inner rear door has a 'Bar' etched glass panel.
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