The Railway Hotel, Southend

Last updated

The Railway Hotel (2019), viewed from the west at night The Railway Hotel, Southend-on-Sea, 2019.jpg
The Railway Hotel (2019), viewed from the west at night

The Railway Hotel is a pub in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England. [1] It is known for its live music and its vegan food. The pub launched a meat-free menu in 2012, [2] later making a solely vegan menu. English guitarist Wilko Johnson, David Bowie & Iggy Pop collaborator Geoff MacCormack and Teenage Fanclub drummer Brendan O'Hare have been known to attend the pub regularly. In 2013 the pub replaced their traditional pub sign with a hand-painted portrait of Wilko Johnson by local artist Jack Melville. [3] [4]

Contents

History

After the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway [LTSR] was completed in 1856, the railway developer leased the adjoining forty acres of land between the coast and the new railway for a new housing development; the Cliff Town.

Situated west of the existing Georgian Royal Terrace, the mid-Victorian estate was constructed by Banks and Barry between 1859-1861. [5] Nelson Street was designed as the estate’s shopping arcade, and The Railway Hotel was built alongside shortly before 1872. [6] The Railway Hotel remains part of the Clifftown Conservation Area.

The three storey Victorian building was given an extensive refit by Charringtons in the inter-war years. It still retains the original counter and english oak bar top, bar back fitting, panelled walls, and parquet floor. Charringtons' tiled apron also remains around the base of the counter. A vestibule entrance on the Nelson Street side with stained glass windows and the mosaic floors in the lobby on the Nelson Street side are survivors from the original Victorian build. [7]

In 2007, local musician Dave Dulake and his wife Fi Dulake [8] [9] oversaw a £50,000 refurbishment of the Railway [10] turning it into a bohemian mainstay for the Southend musical and artistic communities. Reopening in October 2007, the new-look Railway reintroduced period features such as the parquet flooring and original mosaic tiles, which had spent decades under thick carpet. Extensive work was put in to restructure the first floor rooms into one large musical venue, which has since seen performances by local bands and international names such as Dick Valentine, Earl Slick and Slim Jim Phantom. The pub introduced regular Jazz nights, and also regularly showed super 8 chromos films on vintage equipment.

In late 2018 the business ran into financial difficulty and was put up for sale. [11] In a crowdfunding effort endorsed by Wilko Johnson [12] in which he described the Railway as "the heart of the town's creative community" adding "There's a unique cultural thing that Southend has got and the Railway really represents that" the pub's community raised over £12,000 to save the venue from closure.

Landlords Dave and Fiona Dulake, with RJ Learmouth and James Vessey-Miller (2019) Railway Hotel Southend, Managers.jpg
Landlords Dave and Fiona Dulake, with RJ Learmouth and James Vessey-Miller (2019)

In mid 2019, the pub came under the new management of James Vessey-Miller, [13] a local Green Party politician [14] and community activist.

In April 2021 it was announced that the venue would close due to the "unbearable pressures" of the coronavirus pandemic. James Vessey-Miller, manager of the iconic venue, announced the sad news on Twitter last night (April 6), explaining that The Railway has "run out of steam" and that the company that facilitates the business has drawn to a grinding halt.

Mr Vessey-Miller added that the company has collapsed under the weight of "unbearable pressures and almost un-tradable circumstances". [15]

Vegan cuisine

In 2012, the pub chose to offer a meat-free menu, rapidly becoming popular with the town’s vegetarian and vegan communities. In late 2015, the Railway Hotel was ranked in the UK’s top 10 vegan pubs by animal rights charity PETA [16] for its varied selection of high quality vegan food. In 2018, it was also listed in the top 12 of the best Vegan Fish & Chips in the UK by Vegan Food & Living. [17]

In late 2018, due to financial difficulty the pub's kitchen reduced its vegan menu to pizza and pasta dishes.

Awards

In 2019, the Railway won the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame Certificate for five consecutive years of top marks from reviewers. [18]

Radio stations

The Railway Hotel is home to the studios of two Southend-based alternative internet Radio stations.

Related Research Articles

Campaign for Real Ale British consumer organisation promoting traditional pubs, real ale and real cider

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes what they designate as "real" ale, "real" cider, "real" perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. With just under 160,000 members, it is the largest single-issue consumer group in the UK, and is a founding member of the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU).

Pub Establishment that serves alcoholic drinks

A pub is an establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term public house first appeared in the late 17th century, and was used to differentiate private houses from those which were, quite literally, open to the public as "alehouses", "taverns" and "inns". By Georgian times, it had become common parlance, although taverns, as a distinct establishment, had largely ceased to exist by the beginning of the 19th century. Today, pubs have no strict definition, but CAMRA states a pub has four characteristics:

  1. is open to the public without membership or residency
  2. serves draught beer or cider without requiring food be consumed
  3. has at least one indoor area not laid out for meals
  4. allows drinks to be bought at a bar

Pub rock is a rock music genre that was developed in the early to mid-1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement which incorporated roots rock, pub rock was a reaction against the expensively-recorded and produced progressive rock and flashy glam rock scenes of the time. Although short-lived, pub rock was live rock played in small traditional venues like pubs and clubs. Since major labels showed no interest in pub rock groups, pub rockers sought out independent record labels such as Stiff Records. Indie labels used relatively inexpensive recording processes, so they had a much lower break-even point for a record than a major label.

Southend-on-Sea City in Essex, England

Southend-on-Sea, commonly referred to as Southend, is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, 40 miles (64 km) east of central London. It is bordered to the north by Rochford and to the west by Castle Point. It is home to the longest pleasure pier in the world, Southend Pier. London Southend Airport is located north of the city centre.

Wilko Johnson English guitarist, singer and songwriter

Wilko Johnson is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter and occasional actor. He was a member of the pub rock/rhythm and blues band Dr. Feelgood in the 1970s. Johnson is known for his distinctive guitar playing style which he achieved by not using a pick but instead relying on fingerstyle. This enabled him to play rhythm guitar and riffs or solos at the same time creating a highly percussive guitar sound.

Pub chain

A pub chain is a group of pubs or bars operating under a unified brand image. Pubs within a chain are tied houses and can, generally, only sell products which the chain owner sanctions. Pubs in a chain normally display their chain branding prominently and may also feature shared aspects, such as menus and staff uniforms.

Wetherspoons English pub company

J D Wetherspoon plc is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and based in Watford, the company operates 925 pubs as of June 2021. This includes the sub-brand of Lloyds No.1 bars, and around 50 Wetherspoon hotels. Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional premises into pubs, such as former cinemas and banks. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Westcliff-on-Sea Town in Essex

Westcliff-on-Sea is a town located United Kingdom in Essex in the south east of England. It is on the north shore of the lower Thames Estuary, about 34 miles (55 km) east of London.

The Bartons Arms Public house in Birmingham, England

The Bartons Arms is a public house in the High Street in the Newtown area of Aston, Birmingham, England.

Pitsea Human settlement in England

Pitsea is a small town and former civil parish, now in the unparished area of Basildon, in south Essex, England. It comprises five sub-districts: Eversley, Northlands Park Neighbourhood, Chalvedon, Pitsea Mount and Burnt Mills. It is part of the new town of Basildon. In 1931 the parish had a population of 3414.

Sedbusk Hamlet in North Yorkshire, England

Sedbusk is a hamlet near Hawes and Hardraw Force within the Yorkshire Dales in North Yorkshire, England. The hamlet is 1 mile (1.5 km) north of the town of Hawes across the River Ure. Sedbusk is in the civil parish of High Abbotside along with Hardraw and Simonstone. The name of the hamlet derives from the Old Norse Saetr buskr, which means 'the bush by the shieling'. In 1280, it was recorded as setebuskste.

The Hamsters British band

The Hamsters were a British band from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England.

Hatchet Inn, Bristol Building in Bristol, England

The Hatchet Inn is an historic pub in the English city of Bristol. It is a Grade II listed building. The name is thought to originate from the axes/hatchets that the local woodsmen used in Clifton Woods.

The National Pub of the Year is an annual competition held by CAMRA, the winner of which is announced in the February of the year following that in which the competition is run, that finds the best pub in the UK. Established in 1988, the competition helps to highlight quality pubs around the UK that are worth seeking out and visiting. Each year, each local CAMRA branch nominates one pub in their area to be entered. These 200 pubs then go through to the regional competition, which then whittles down to 4 pubs to go to the national final.

Castle Inn Public house in West Lulworth, Dorset, England

The Castle Inn is a public house in West Lulworth, Dorset, England, which dates from the 16th century. It was originally called The Green Man, and later The Jolly Sailor. As of 2014, the pub is a popular traditional pub and hotel. The Castle Inn has a focus upon traditional real ales, real ciders and fresh food.

Kursaal (amusement park)

The Kursaal is a Grade II listed building in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, which opened in 1901 as part of one of the world's first purpose-built amusement parks. The venue is noted for the main building with distinctive dome, designed by Campbell Sherrin, which has featured on a Royal Mail special edition stamp.

Half Moon, Herne Hill

The Half Moon is a Grade II* listed public house at 10 Half Moon Lane, Herne Hill, London. It is one of only 270 pubs on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors, was frequented by the poet and writer Dylan Thomas, and was a noteworthy live music venue for nearly 50 years, hosting three gigs by U2 in 1980. In 2015, The Half Moon Public House was listed by Southwark Council as an Asset of Community Value, and is described by Nikolaus Pevsner as, "a cheerful corner pub of 1896".

Golden Cross, Cardiff Grade II listed building in Cardiff. Pub in Cardiff, Wales

The Golden Cross is a Grade II listed public house at the junction of Customhouse Street and Hayes Bridge Road in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The current building dates from 1903 and is noted for its distinctive ceramic tiling.

The Commercial, Herne Hill

The Commercial is a public house at 210-212 Railton Road, Herne Hill, London. It is cited in 'The CAMRA Regional Inventory for London' as being one of only 133 pubs in Greater London with a pub interior of special historic interest, most notably for its, "Original counters, bar-back, fireplaces and much fielded wall panelling" dating from the 1930s. In July 2016, Lambeth Council designated The Commercial as a locally-listed heritage asset of architectural or historic interest, being described as a, "Two-storey Neo Georgian style inter-war pub with a three-part convex façade which follows the curve of the building line".

References

  1. ↑ "Musical revamp for Railway Hotel". Echo. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  2. ↑ "Railway Hotel". Echo. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "Wilko delighted by pub sign honour". BBC News. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  4. ↑ "Wilko Johnson is the new face of Southend's Railway Hotel". Echo. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  5. ↑ Holmes, Katherine. "Clifftown Conservation Area". www.southend.gov.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  6. ↑ "From Cornfields to Cliff Town". Southend Timeline.
  7. ↑ "Railway Hotel - East Anglia Region CAMRA". eastanglia.camra.org.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  8. ↑ "Punters' £10k bid to make sure Railway Hotel stays open". Echo.
  9. ↑ "Southend's most famous pub closes doors for good after Covid pandemic blow". Echo.
  10. ↑ "Musical revamp for Railway Hotel". Echo. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "'It's been an amazing ride': Popular pub goes on the market". Echo. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  12. ↑ "Wilko backs campaign to save music venue". 19 February 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  13. ↑ "New manager of The Railway Hotel speaks for the first time and he has big plans". Echo. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  14. ↑ "Our Committee". southeastessex.greenparty.org.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  15. ↑ "Southend's most famous pub closes doors for good after Covid pandemic blow".
  16. ↑ "Southend's Railway Hotel is top spot for vegans". Echo. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  17. ↑ "12 of the best vegan fish and chip shops in the UK". Vegan Food & Living. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  18. ↑ "The Railway Hotel, Southend-on-Sea - 32 Clifftown Rd - Photos & Restaurant Reviews - Order Online Food Delivery". TripAdvisor. Retrieved 2 October 2019.

Coordinates: 51°32′12″N0°42′38″E / 51.5367°N 0.7106°E / 51.5367; 0.7106

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.