Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – New owners of Croydon’s historic Dog and Bull pub face public outcry and accusations of ‘cultural vandalism’ following controversial interior changes.
As reported by Inside Croydon, an increasing number of people are protesting down Surrey Street, where the Grade II-listed, centuries-old market bar has had its stained glass windows removed and has not yet applied for a license to hold planned raves in the beer garden until three in the morning.
The pubco that took over the Dog and Bull on Surrey Street, Croydon’s oldest pub, has been accused of “vulture capitalism” and “cultural vandalism.”
They have also been reported to the authorities for making changes to the building’s protected Grade II-listed exterior.
The location has had a market pub for 750 years. A vague, unidentifiable abstract of “The Dog” took the place of the more conventional Dog and Bull pub sign that was hanging across the street market this week.
Even more menacing is the removal of the Victorian stained glass of a bull in the front window, which was a nod to the pub’s medieval origins in Surrey Street market.
In the week since we revealed the unnecessary name change, Inside Croydon readers participated in an online survey.
96% of respondents stated they prefer the traditional Dog and Bull moniker over the needless and meaningless change that some business executive at Laine, a pubco offshoot of Punch Pubs situated in Brighton, came up with.
According to Jennie Tucker, Laine’s “hospitality brand and marketing consultant,” who was apparently involved in the decision to change the pub’s name, “You spoke, and Laine listened!”
Considering the findings of our non-scientific survey and the appalled response of CAMRA’s unconsulted local members, this seems implausible.
Tucker released a statement claiming that there is no true name change happening, in an astounding denial of reality: “The pub will proudly remain ‘The Dog,’ the name everyone knows and loves.”
Additionally, Tucker stated:
“Laine is embracing the deep bond the Croydon community has with this treasured location.”
They are, of course, by renaming the bar and taking away its historical features.
Mark Dodds, a specialist in pub culture and a member of the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) national executive, called the modifications to the Dog and Bull an “appalling idea.”
Dodds called it:
“Preposterous cultural vandalism. Vulture capitalism.”
A long-time campaigner against large, homogenised chain pubcos, Dodds said,
“Laines – infected by the dead hand grip of Punch Pubs.”
Looking at the removal of the stained glass, Dodds said:
“Seriously. what’s going on in the mind of anyone having a look at this and thinking: ‘That definitely has to go’? Let alone [in] a Grade II-listed building.
And decide to drop Bull from the name?”
Dodds called the modifications made to the former tavern “criminal.”
Laine has a dismal record of upholding history and legacy, as other local CAMRA members have pointed out. They mention how Laine has totally destroyed the Victorian/Edwardian stone exterior at another former Youngs pub, The Ram in Wandsworth.
Of the Croydon pub changes, Dodds said:
“What goes on in the mind of the board room that presides over this kind of gratuitous assault on tradition, sense of place, pride in our built environment, culture, and planning law?
Who the fuck do they think they are? They’re not responsible custodians of British pubs. They’re vandals.
The pubco needs legal action and enforcement.”
At the end of March, Punch Pubs acquired the Dog and Bull, which had previously belonged to Youngs, and moved it into what they refer to as their “Laine portfolio.” Closing the establishment and beginning renovations, primarily in the beer garden area, was their first action. They’re also renaming the beer garden. Laine is referring to it as “The Wilderness” in an attempt to establish a false association with artist Tracey Emin.
Laine’s The Dog’s website states that they plan to host DJ-led music events in the beer garden until two in the morning on Saturdays and three in the morning on Sundays.
According to Croydon Council sources, no application has been made to change the pub’s license to reflect those hours of operation.
The garden area, which was crucial to the bar’s operations once lockdown restrictions were relaxed, is the focus of the £125,000 renovation, which is a comparatively modest price for pub restoration work, especially one that has taken more than a month. For ten years or more, the beer garden has provided television sports, heated booths, and food.
Laine’s renovation, which is taking longer than expected, should be finished next week, and a “soft launch” is now scheduled for Friday, May 9.
The site has reportedly had a tavern since 1276, when the inn was called The Bell and the medieval market was called Butcher’s Row.
The location may have been utilized for bull baiting, and the tavern’s yard may have been used as a stock holding enclosure, according to certain theories.
Over the ages, the Dog and Bull have gone by several titles, such as The Bull and The Black Bull.
The current structure, however, is believed to have been known as The Dog and Bull since it was constructed in the early 18th century and has been hailed as “particularly handsome” by architecture historian Nikolaus Pevsner.
Laine had pledged to “lovingly preserve all the quirks and charm that make this place a true Croydon gem while giving everything a fresh sparkle.” Except, apparently, bulls depicted in stained glass. This action has been confirmed by the presence of a dog’s glass window.
The bar’s renaming has drawn criticism from the Croydon and Sutton chapter of CAMRA, which described it as “an unnecessary change to a historic pub name.”
They had also stated their hope that “no planning permission has been sought for changes to this Grade II-listed building, so existing glassworks will remain intact.”
Thus, it is evident that the most recent alterations to the pub’s exterior have angered Croydon and Sutton CAMRA.
According to Inside Croydon, Laine’s unapproved changes to The Dog and Bull have been brought to the attention of both The Victorian Society and Historic England, which is in charge of the register of listed buildings.
What specific changes have been made to the Dog and Bull’s interior?
The proprietors, who are a part of Laine, a pubco subsidiary of Punch Pubs, kept the dog stained glass in place but destroyed the Victorian stained glass window that featured a bull, a major heritage value connected to the pub’s medieval market origins.
Experts and local CAMRA members have referred to this behavior as “criminal” and an attack on the pub’s traditional heritage.
The local community and CAMRA vehemently protested the decision to change the historic moniker “Dog and Bull” with just “The Dog,” as 96% of respondents to an Inside Croydon survey said they preferred the old name. Despite the proof, the owners deny that a name change is taking place.
Because the pub is a Grade II listed building, the frontage changes were undertaken without the required planning applications, which raises legal difficulties.