Tales Of Carlisle’s State Managed Pubs And Harry Redfern

The UK government stepped in and assumed control over the pubs in Carlisle and district in 1916 and put in place a ‘Central Control Board’. This would later become the Carlisle and District State Management Scheme.

Architect Harry Redfern was appointed chief architect to the Central Control Board, and during his time in office, he oversaw improvement works to some of the existing pubs and was then commissioned to design fifteen ‘New Model Inns’. As a result, he has left a legacy of design classics that transformed the licensing landscape of Carlisle and the surrounding area. In all, he managed to design fourteen, although as a result of his failing health, the final pub was designed by his assistant, Joseph Seddon, and named after the man himself – The Redfern Inn.

This book attempts to throw a little light on the subject without going into too much detail. It’s not intended to be a heavy read; it’s more of a graphic scrapbook, a kind of coffee table book, featuring bits of trivia, memories, pictures of the pubs and some of my illustrations.

Some of these pubs are still in use today, but sadly, most of the original features of the buildings have been lost due to alterations over the years. Many of the finer points of Redfern’s work have gone unnoticed, after all, people go to the pub to enjoy a drink or two and not to admire the buildings or their interiors, so I hope this book sheds a little light on some of his work that you may have missed.