The Architectural Legacy of James & Lister Lea
Commissioned by the Holt Brewery Company and erected in 1901 to the designs of celebrated Birmingham pub architects James & Lister Lea, The Anchor at 308 Bradford Street stands as an unspoilt masterpiece of Edwardian buff-red terracotta, Minton ceramic tilework, leaded art glass, and carved mahogany craftsmanship.
308 Bradford Street & Rea Street Corner Turret
Rising three storeys above the crossroads of Digbeth’s industrial heartland, James & Lister Lea’s commanding corner elevation anchors the streetscape with canted oriel bays, Dutch-gabled dormers, and a ground-floor arcade of glazed buff-red terracotta.
Over Two Centuries on the Corner of Rea Street
While a tavern has stood on this plot since 1793, the 1901 rebuilding created an enduring landmark that survived the Birmingham Blitz, post-war ring-road clearances, and the evolution of Digbeth’s Irish Quarter.
Buff-Red Glazed Terracotta & Gold Leaf Fascia
Kiln-fired in Loughborough by the Hathern Station Brick & Terra Cotta Company, the ground-floor blocks were engineered to resist industrial soot while showcasing deeply moulded Neo-Renaissance foliage and gilded fascia lettering.
Moulded Elliptical Arches & Goose-Neck Lanterns
Curved keystones, scrolled consoles, and classical entablature mouldings frame the twin Bradford Street and Rea Street entrances beneath wrought-iron swan-neck pub lamps.
Surviving Ansells Brewery Exterior Lantern
A rare surviving Ansells Brewery lantern suspended against the upper red-brick facade recalls Birmingham’s great brewing dynasties before The Anchor became a fiercely independent freehouse under the Kennedy family in 1975.
Leaded Art Glass, Minton Tiles & Carved Mahogany
Step through the draught-screened lobbies into one of Britain’s best-preserved Edwardian pub interiors—celebrated for its unaltered multi-room floor plan, original ceramic surfaces, and monumental woodwork.
Stained-Glass Transoms & Obscured Privacy Screens
Attributed to Birmingham stained-glass craftsmen James Pearce & Co., the elliptical upper transoms and leaded lower privacy screens cast amber, ruby, and emerald light across the public bar throughout the afternoon.
L-Shaped Mahogany Counter & Acid-Etched Mirrors
The original 1901 L-shaped bar counter features recessed fielded mahogany panelling, turned timber columns, traditional handpull mounts, and a rosewood-toned gantry backed by brilliant-cut and acid-etched mirrors.
Original 1901 Minton Encaustic Floor Tiles
Polychrome geometric Minton floor mosaics and moulded ceramic dado tiles line the threshold and drinking corridors, meeting seasoned tongue-and-groove timber boards along the servery apron.
Glazed Timber Baffles & Edwardian Sightlines
Carved timber baffles and leaded-glass partitions divide the public bar, central corridor, and rear saloon rooms while allowing warm lamplight to travel from room to room.
“One of Birmingham’s most exuberant examples of late-Victorian and Edwardian pub architecture, resisting suburbanisation through pure craftsmanship and an unbreakable bond with working Digbeth.”
The Midland Red Bar, Leather Snugs & Etched Glass
Every room inside The Anchor preserves a distinct layer of Birmingham’s social memory—from the drivers and mechanics of the neighbouring Midland Red Coach Station (1929–1986) to generations of Digbeth’s Irish community.
The Midland Red Bar & Digbeth Garage Archive
Situated directly opposite the former Midland Red omnibus garage on Rea Street, the rear lounge honours generations of Birmingham bus drivers, conductors, and engineers with original route plates, badges, and fleet photography.
‘Saloon Bar’ & ‘Dark Room’ Cut-Glass Doorways
Original acid-embossed ‘Saloon Bar’ and ‘Dark Room’ glass door panels—alongside the historic brass last-orders bell and carved fireplace surround—preserve the hierarchy and charm of a 1901 city tavern.
Carrickfergus Red Tufted Leather Banquettes
Deep-buttoned oxblood and Carrickfergus Red leather perimeter bench seating wraps beneath the stained-glass street bays, paired with traditional cast-iron and solid oak pub tables.
Emerald Green Pincushion Leather Snug Seating
Hand-upholstered emerald green Chesterfield banquettes and warm timber wainscoting create intimate fireside corners for quiet pints, acoustic trad sessions, and Sunday dominoes.
Safeguarding 308 Bradford Street for the Next Century
In Autumn 2025, custodian Peter Connolly and proprietor Gerry Keane commissioned a £100,000 specialist conservation programme—restoring the Hathern terracotta, Minton tilework, gilded fascia signage, and traditional cellar lines.
Sympathetic Tile, Joinery & French-Polishing Works
Specialist tradespeople cleaned and stabilised the 1901 ceramic tilework, French-polished the mahogany bar counter, and refurbished the leather banquettes without altering a single Grade II listed detail.
Hand-Painted Fascia Lettering & Terracotta Cleaning
Traditional signwriters restored the gilded fascia lettering and ornamental ironwork across the Bradford Street and Rea Street elevations ahead of the October 31, 2025 reopening.
“You don’t own a pub like The Anchor—you look after it for the next generation. Every tile, every stained-glass window, and every mahogany panel belongs to the story of Birmingham.”