Life
11th Jan 2023
Charlie Herbert
The world’s biggest Wetherspoons is situated right on the beach and features impressive architecture and space for 1,500 punters.
Wetherspoons has become renowned for renovating some pretty fancy buildings in cities across the UK.
And you’ll be pleased to hear that the biggest in the world is as impressive as you’d hope, sitting right on the beach in Kent.
The Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate was opened by HRH Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll in 2017.
The Grade II listed building is a formerly dilapidated pavilion and had been one of the most at-risk Victorian/Edwardian buildings in the UK.
Describing the pub, the Wetherspoons website reads: “A striking example of seaside architecture, this grade II listed building (the formerly dilapidated pavilion) had been one of the most at-risk Victorian/Edwardian buildings in the land.
“Built as a concert hall/assembly rooms and designed by architect Stanley Davenport Adshead, it was based on the style of a Robert Adam orangery.
“The interior is said to be derived from the Little Theatre at Versailles and was simplified in the 1930s. After being a nightclub, then casino, it closed in 2008.”
The pub had also previously been used as both a nightclub and casino before closing its doors in 2008, the Sun reports.
It boasts 11,000 square feet of drinking space – including a huge terrace over the beach – and holds 1,500 punters, making it the biggest pub in Europe.
Wetherspoon’s pumped £4.5m into the building’s renovation. But they decided to keep some of the iconic pavilion’s original features, including the classic circular windows designed for the building ahead of its completion in 1903.
Inside, the building has a high ceiling and a grand staircase which goes up to a carpeted mezzanine balcony, providing a great view of the huge, wood-panelled bar that runs along the wall on the lower level.
In one five-star review of the pub on TripAdvisor, a customer said: “The building itself was sympathetically restored and converted into a bustling bar and restaurant.
“An upstairs outside terrace with views over the sea. Clean modern toilets. Plenty of pictures on the walls recalling the building’s history.
“A perfect example of how to preserve an historic building by converting it to a contemporary use.”
In another glowing review, someone else wrote: “A more stunning building you won’t find- inside and out. Such friendly, helpful staff every single time we visit.
“We went in the winter so obviously sat inside, but there is ample seating outside overlooking the beach – would be a fab place to while away the hours in summer.”
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