Liverpool pub upgraded to Grade I-listing

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport deemed ‘The Phil’ to be of exceptional interest and national importance.

With its new status, the late 19th century pub joins buildings such as Buckingham Palace and Chatsworth House.

The pub features different architectural styles including resplendent art nouveau gates and musical themes relating to the nearby concert hall.

Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson said: “English pubs are some of our best-loved community buildings and are often threatened with closure so we are delighted to see 11 historic pubs receiving further protection. 

“We are proud that the Liverpool Philharmonic pub, a remarkable survival from the Victorian era, has been given a Grade I-listing, which will help maintain and preserve its outstanding interior fittings and exterior fabric for the future.”

Several pubs have also received listing updates after work from campaigners to protect historic pub interiors.

Two Grade II* and eight Grade II pubs have had their listings updated to include more information about their interiors. 

Protected status

This includes four of only eight pubs in England that are known to have no bar counter.

These updates come after a partnership between Historic England and the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Pub Heritage Group. 

Wilson said: “The 11 pubs range from the opulent Philharmonic in Liverpool and the picturesque Rose & Crown in Somerset, to a London pub with links to Bartholomew Fair. 

“All of them fully deserve the protection given by listing.”

Heritage minister Helen Whately added: "For centuries, the local pub has been a place for people to come together.

“The 11 protected today are each original and important in their own way, and their updated listings will help to protect their cultural and historical heritage for years to come.”