The Bartons Arms (grid reference SP072890) is a pub in the High Street (part of the A34) of Aston, Birmingham, England. Built in 1901 by noted pub architects James & Lister Lea, it is a grade II* listed building, famous 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. Laurel and Hardy once stayed there, after appearing at the adjacent Aston Hippodrome (now demolished, replaced by The Drum Arts Centre), and were photographed serving beer from behind the bar. On July 28, 2006, the pub was damaged by fire, reportedly caused by an electrical fault. The pub features in the 1999 Atom Egoyan Birmingham-set film Felicia's Journey. It also features in a novel by Ron Dawson, . The gang which pulled of the robbery were called the Aston Villains and they used to meet in the Bartons Arms.
External links
- Official website
- Fire damages Victorian building - BBC News
- Astonbrook through Astonmanor - Photographs and plans
- The Last Viking
- Images of England — details from listed building database (217286)
