Listed building application could secure the future of fire hit landmark

The Leopard public house, a landmark in the Potteries town of Burslem since the 18th century, may be a step closer to restoration after the city council made a listed building application at the start of June.

The Leopard Inn

The Leopard Inn was built in 1765 and has a reputation as being one the most haunted pubs in the UK. Previous owners have reported unexplained events including doors slamming on their own and the sound of children singing in an upstairs room once used as a nursery.

The Leopard has been the site of several important events in the history of Stoke-on-Trent, including as the place where pottery manufacturer Josiah Wedgewood and canal engineer James Brindley met to plan the route of the Trent and Mersey Canal.

It is also featured in the novels of Stoke born writer Arnold Bennett renamed as The Tiger , although he is not thought to have ever stayed the night there.

The Leopard was bought by Daneets Investments in 2021 with a view to the building being developed. But in January 2022, a fire – attended by crews from across Staffordshire and Cheshire – ripped through the grade 2 listed building. Since then, talks have been ongoing between the council and the owners about how the pub might be brought back into use. An application has now been made to convert the historic building into apartments, it is unclear how much of the original structure would be retained.

Following the fire Staffordshire Police arrested four men on suspicion of arson, they were subsequently released without further action being taken.

Listed building application

A listed building is ‘a building or other structure of special architectural or historic interest included on a statutory list and assigned a grade (I, II* or II)’, the grade 2 status applied for in the case of the Leopard relates to its specific historic interest.

A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said they are committed to working “with the owner, and Historic England, to bring forward a more detailed planning application. This building is of significant historical importance to the local community, and once hosted a meeting between Josiah Wedgwood and James Brindley, so we are committed to ensuring its historical characteristics are preserved for future generations”.

The listed building application will focus of the ‘special heritage aspects’ of the building. The council will therefore be consulting Historic England as part of the application process. Speaking to the Sentinel council leader Jane Ashworth, who represents a ward in Burslem said the council was working with Daneets and Historic England to ensure “as much of this major heritage site as possible” would be retained.