WETHERSPOONS pubs are probably best known for being a cheap and cheerful place to eat and drink, but the British chain is also sometimes lauded for breathing new life beautiful old buildings, using their history to restore their former glory.
Here we’ve rounded up the 10 most impressive Wetherspoons to add to your pub crawl, including former cinemas and theatres.
We’ve rounded up the most beautiful Wetherspoons pubs in the country
1. Opera House, Royal Tunbridge Wells
The former opera house in Royal Tunbridge Wells first opened its doors to the public back in 1902.
It was later converted into a picture house in the 1930s, before it became a bingo hall and finally a Wetherspoons pub.
Despite the fact that the building hasn’t shown opera for close to a century, it’s still retained plenty of its features, including the original seating booths and stalls.
The Opera House in Royal Tunbridge Wells has kept many of its original features
2. The Winter Gardens, Harrogate
The Winter Gardens used to be part of the Royal Baths in Harrogate and provided a place where people could relax.
It first opened in 1897, having been commissioned by Richard Ellis, a man dubbed “the father of Victorian Harrogate”.
Today, the pub still shows of many of the original features from its past, including a decorative glass ceiling.
The Winter Gardens had once been an indoor space for people to relax in
3. The Corn Exchange, Bury St Edmunds
The Corn Exchange in Bury St Edmunds is impressive to look at from the outside, but has an equally grandiose interior, featuring an arcing glass roof.
The Grade I listed building started life as a location for merchants and Victorian farmers to trade back in 1862.
Trading does still go on in the building, with shops on the ground floor, while the pub can be found upstairs.
The pub is located on the top floor of the building
4. The Royal Victoria Pavilion, Ramsgate
Ramsgate’s Royal Victoria Pavilion holds the title of the world’s biggest Wetherspoons.
It is housed in a beautiful Grade II listed building that dates back to both the Victorian and Edwardian periods.
It now offers patrons pints with a view of the sea.
The spacious pub is now in a prime spot for a pint
5. The Velvet Coaster, Blackpool
Another coastal Wetherspoons pub is The Velvet Coaster in Blackpool.
The pub is named after one of Blackpool’s most famous historical fairground rides, in which thrill-seekers of the past sat in velvet-lined carriages that rolled along a wooden track.
Although the name is historic, the pub itself is very modern, and offers views of the Lancashire coast.
The Velvet Coaster is just minutes from the seaside
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6. The Caley Picture House, Edinburgh
The art-deco insides of the Caley Picture House in Edinburgh make it look like like it could feature in the Great Gatsby.
The building used to be part of a hotel before it was transformed into a cinema.
Some original features remain, including a large screen area and balcony, with the upstairs mezzanine level offering the best views.
It’s a former cinema and you can see some of the original features from upstairs
7. The Palladium, Llandudno
The Palladium in Llandudno, in North Wales, is another Wetherspoons that used to be a cinema.
This one first opened to the public back in the 1920s.
However, the ornate interior featured seating on three floors, including stalls, dress circle and balcony, and could also be used as a theatre.
A lot of the original features remain in the pub today, providing a pleasant environment to have a pint or two.
The space was also built for theatrical performances
8. The Counting House, Glasgow
The Counting House in Glasgow competes with Edinburgh’s Caley Picture House as the best looking Spoons in Scotland.
The ex-Bank of Scotland building was designed in the Italian Renaissance style and visitors can even have a drink in its underground vault.
The Counting House building was once owned by a bank
9. Hamilton Hall, London
Outside of London’s Liverpool Street Station is Hamilton Hall, which at one stage was a ballroom in the Great Eastern Hotel.
The building’s plain outside belies the impressive interior, which is decked out with gold and a grand chandelier.
Visitors need only look up at the elaborate ceiling for a glimpse of its past as an impressive ballroom.
Hamilton Hall was once a grand ballroom
10. The Knights Templar, London
Elsewhere in London, The Knights Templar can be found inside a former Union Bank building.
The ornate boozer is named after Warrior Monks – who feature in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code – with many references to the ancient order hidden in the pub.
However, it’s maybe best known for its particularly posh toilets, which feature a female statue inside.
The building had once belonged to Union Bank
We have also rounded up some of the stunning McDonalds buildings from around the world, as well as the most beautiful Lidls – including supermarkets in Greece and Portugal.