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HEREFORDSHIRE - Leysters, Duke of York National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Part One , Leysters, HR6 0HW (on A4112, SO5563) Tel: 01568 750230 Opening Hours: 11.30 to 2.30 (Sun 12 to 2); 7 to 11. Pub Food: None Listed Status: Not listed View this pub on a local map
A 400-year-old building with a farmhouse pub which still has a smallholding attached. Other of Britains Real Heritage Pubs with working farms attached are the Harrington Arms, Gawsworth; Luppitt Inn, Luppitt ; and Dyffryn Arms, Pontfaen . It has been in the same family ownership since 1911 when the present landlady's grandfather took over. The centenary was celebrated on 11 April 2011 with events, special beermats and also a commemorative bottled beer by Hereford Brewery. The interior is little changed since before WWII and consists of three rooms.
The small public bar has a small counter where the frontage is a continuation of the tongue and groove dado panelling and there is also a hatch to the right. The bar-back consists of old shelves and includes two tiny drawers, one of which is a very traditional till. There is a splendid curved high backed settle around the fireplace, which could date from just before WWII. there is some bare bench window seating around the local pub game of quoits - note the ancient wooden score board on the wall. On the right is the small darts room with a Victorian tiled fireplace, lovely corner bench and its own hatch.
On the left is the lounge with a figure '6' on the back of the door. It was added to the public rooms just before WWII and has the feel of a domestic sitting room of a country house. Previously it was a kitchen and the brewhouse and water was drawn from a well directly below. The present fireplace replaced the old range fireplace of the former kitchen. The bar fittings appear to date from post-war rather than pre-war with a ply panelled counter front and the mirrored bar back fitting has some Formica as well as wooden shelves. A curtain covers the entrance to the servery for staff and on display are various items of breweriana including a Watneys Red Barrel. The splendid grandfather clock by G Rocke of Kidderminster was a wedding present for the landlady's great great grandmother in the 1980's.
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