The Bath Hotel: Well preserved Victorian boozer hailed the best in Sheffield

A historic pub has been hailed the best in Sheffield city centre by real ale fans.

The Bath Hotel on Victoria Street, just behind the old Glossop Road Baths, is CAMRA’s Sheffield pub of the year for the city centre.

The win is a huge boost for owners Brian and Ruth Johnson who arrived in 2001. They leased it to Thornbridge Brewery in 2012 but took back the reins in 2022.

Now a freehouse, the range of beer attracts visitors, regulars students and real ale fans.

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The property, which is at the end of a row of mid-Victorian terraced houses, was initially prevented from the sale of alcohol by a covenant, according to CAMRA. It eventually became licensed premises in the 1880s and has been delighting drinkers ever since.

It is also admired for its original features despite a refit from Ind Coope in 1931, CAMRA says.

The organisation publishes ‘Sheffield’s Real Heritage Pubs’ and says The Bath Hotel is one of just two 'three-star' heritage pubs in the city, deemed of ‘exceptional national historic importance’. 

It states: 'It is an unusually complete example of a Sheffield corner public house, which retains, in almost complete form, the 1931 plan and fittings'. 

In 2003, the pub was awarded CAMRA'S Conservation Award, which is run in conjunction with English Heritage and Victorian Society.