The Bartons Arms
The Bartons Arms is a public house in the High Street in the Newtown area of Aston, Birmingham, England.
Built in 1900-1901 by noted pub architects partnership James and Lister Lea for Mitchells & Butlers, it is a grade II* listed building, and is on the Campaign for Real Ale's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.
The pub is known for its wall-to-wall Minton-Hollins tiles and its snob screens, which allowed middle class drinkers to see working class drinkers in an adjacent bar, but not to be seen by them. The current public bar was originally divided into three. There are function rooms upstairs, originally for billiards and club use.
Laurel and Hardy stayed there in May 1954, while appearing at the adjacent Aston Hippodrome, and were photographed serving beer from behind the bar.
The pub features in the 1999 Atom Egoyan Birmingham-set film Felicia's Journey. It also features in the 2006 novel by Ron Dawson, The Last Viking: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Heist; as the gang of robbers meet in the pub.
It was purchased in 2002 by Oakham Ales who restored the building to its former greatness before reopening it in 2003, after three years out-of-use. On 28 July 2006, the pub was damaged by fire, reportedly caused by an electrical fault.
During the 2011 England riots, the pub was looted, windows were smashed, and fires started, albeit quickly doused by the manager, Wichai Thumjaron. Up to eight shots were fired at police who attended the incident.
