THEY ARE one of the most affordable chains in which to eat and drink, however Wetherspoon interiors can be just as stunning as the prices.
The popular pub chain has a number of hidden design gems in its roster located throughout the UK.
From a transformed opera house in Royal Tunbridge Wells to a former cinema in Llandudno, there’s many a Wetherspoons that’s a feast for the eyes.
Stop for a drink at these head-turning watering holes…
Dropping by Royal Tunbridge Wells? You’ll find a Wetherspoons that feels breathtakingly opulent.
Named the Opera House, it is – as you guessed – a former opera house that started welcoming the public through its doors in 1902.
After this, it spent time as a cinema and a bingo hall, before finally coming under the wing of the pub chain.
Those who visit today will still find original features from its theatrical hey-day, including colourful booths and stalls.
Before becoming a Wetherspoons, this was the 330-room North Western Hotel that serviced Liverpool Lime Street Station passengers.
Interestingly, the hotel – opened in 1871 – was crearted by the same designer responsible for the Natural History Museum in London.
It then fell vacant from 1933 until 1996, when it became university srudent accommodation, and eventually opened as a Wetherspoons pub in 2015.
Part of its £2 million transformation also saw its upstairs revived as a hotel under the control of Radisson RED.
It seems fitting that The Winter Gardens began life as part of the Royal Baths in Harrogate where people went to unwind.
The baths had first opened in 1897, where Victorian treatments included such unusual delights as sulphur baths and electric peat baths.
In its latest guise as a Wetherspoons, it still retains many of its original features.
That includes the elegant columned entrance and a beautiful decorative glass ceiling that lets natural light flow in.
This Wetherspoons started out as a magistrates’ court and police station, which was still its role until 2000.
The building had been constructed in 1902 on the site of an old workhouse dating back to the 17th century.
Its interior still features a witness box, main bench and defendant’s box, with two small cells repurposed as dining areas.
Not sure where to head after the pub? Since you’re in the centre of the Lake District, there’s plenty of choice of activities – from boating trips to scenic hikes.
One of the most stunning Wetherspoons in the UK can be found in West Suffolk.
The Grade 1 listed building was originally a venue for Victorian merchants and farmers to trade between each other back in the 1800s.
The grand interior features an arching glass roof and elegant wooden panneling.
Unusually, the pub is actually on the first floor of the building, with shops downstairs.
For a truly quaint Wetherspoons, you can’t go wrong with this spot in the town of Northallerton.
It is part of a series of old buildings on the High Street near the Grade 1 listed parish church.
There is evidence of an old inn marked as a public house on the site all the way back in 1894.
Today, the pub’s exterior has been decorated with a pretty cream and mint green colour palette.
Head to the Kent town for what is officially the world’s largest Wetherspoons.
It is located in a beautiful Grade II listed building – a former pavilion – that dates back to the Victorian period.
The interior is said to be based on the Queen‘s Theatre at the Palace of Versailles.
However, perhaps one of its most important features is that it is on the beachfront with prime sea views.
Originally called the Three Horse Shoes and Crown, it was later named based on its closeness to the Trent Bridge over the River Trent.
The Wetherspoons is also known for its proximity to the world-class Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.
The red-brick exterior belies the grand interiors of the quaint pub.
There is a wooden pannelled bar as well as mahogany furniture and a parquet floor.
There is something rather show-stopping about this Wetherspoons in north Wales, which used to be a cinema.
It first opened to the public in the 1920s, and its eye-catching decor has thankfully been retained.
There is seating on not one or two but three floors, thanks to the remaining stalls, dress circle and balcony.
Additionally, the ornate gold detailing and plush red carpet provide the feeling of a grand evening out.
This might be the most beautiful Wetherspoons in the whole of Scotland.
It is housed in a former Bank of Scotland building, designed in the Italian Renaissance style.
To this day, guests can even have a drink in the old underground banking vaults.
Upstairs, you can take in the grand high ceilings with opulent detailing.
Just outside of Liverpool Street Station is a Wetherspoons that was once a ballroom in the Great Eastern Hotel.
You’d be forgiven for walking straight past the plain pub, without realising that inside is an amazing interior.
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Check a map – Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other.
So if you’re planning a pint at a Spoons, it’s worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you’re settling in at the cheapest.
Choose your day – Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights.
For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual.
Pick-up vouchers – Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled.
Get appy – The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table – but you don’t need to be in the pub to use it.
Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play.
Check the date – Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry.
It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14.
As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.
It features ornate gold detailing on its ceiling, a circular bar and a hanging chandelier.
There is also plenty of space for a little dance if you find yourself in the spirit.
