Historic Plymouth pub ordered to paint over 16th Century beams

The seaside pub features wooden beams and stairs taken from ships in Francis Drake’s Spanish Armada, and a ceiling scrawled with messages from celebrities, servicemen and regulars.

In November, local council safety inspectors told landlords Martin and Shelley Jones that the downstairs of the pub would need to be made ‘fireproof’ within two months. Originally they were asked to paint over the wooden furnishings with fire retardent paint but the landlords felt this would ruin the pub’s identity.

Instead, they want to use fireproof varnish on the grade II listed pub, and the local council has still not decided whether this will suffice.

“The local council came in November and told us we would we have to fireproof the area. Not paint it, but fireproof it,” said Martin Jones.

“Hopefully then, we won’t have to paint it. We’re actually two months over our enforcement period now.

“Our ceiling is the biggest worry. It holds too many memories.”

The couple have been continually looking at alternative possibilities, but are concerned by the move.

“Ideally the upstairs would be fireproofed and the downstairs would be left exactly as it is. But we still don’t know if they’re going to let us do that,” said Martin Jones.

A spokesman for the Devon and Somerset Fire Rescue Service said: “Safeguarding heritage from the ravages of fire is a vital part of the protection work of the fire service.”