The first regional inventory, for London, was published last year and the second, for East Anglia, has just emerged. This describes the mere 90 pubs (out of 6000) which qualify for inclusion, a sad reflection on the degree of alteration, usually for the worse, which has afflicted our pubs in recent years. Nonetheless, some absolute gems still survive and the inventory provides descriptions of those interiors and why they are so important.


Elsewhere, the entries range from diminutive basic country locals (The Rose and Crown, Trowley Bottom, Herts), and back-street urban equivalents (The Hand and Heart Peterborough) to impressive coaching inns like The Scole Inn Norfolk. We have the Victorian and Edwardian, the inter-war "improved public house", the art-deco extravaganza and a few post-war examples as well (unchanged interiors from the fifties and sixties are becoming increasingly rare).
If pubs interest you as buildings and not just outlets for ale then the inventory will guide you towards the cream of our surviving pub heritage. The booklet is enhanced significantly by Mick Slaughter's wonderfully evocative colour photos.
The inventory costs £3.50 plus £1 post and packing. You can order on-line from the CAMRA website or by phoning CAMRA HQ (01727 867201, then press 2 on the menu). Why not buy copies of the National Inventory and the London Inventory at the same time?