Preston – Twelve Tellers
The Twelve Tellers in Preston is a JD Wetherspoon operated pub and isn’t in the Good Beer Guide, although I managed to visit just about all of the central Preston pubs that are in the book.
That’s a quite impressive view. I visited at 11:00 and so wasn’t going for alcohol, my unlimited coffee cost just £1.04 and the pub is on one of the lowest price bands for the chain in the country.
Those two doors are located either side of the main room.
The twelve tellers which the pub is named after and one of the doors is also visible here.
It’s just about readable. but there’s a longer version on the JD Wetherspoon web-site:
“This imposing grade II listed building now occupied by J D Wetherspoon stands on the site of the former Preston Savings Bank, Church Street, that was purpose built. The foundation stone was laid by WP Park, chairman of the trustees in October 1905 and the building opened to the public in 1907 as the company’s headquarters. The bank later became part of the Trustee Savings Bank Group where the public was served inside the grand banking hall by twelve tellers from behind the 65-feet long counter.
The former bank stands on the site of an older bank, established in 1776. It was originally a private residence and in 1715 was owed by Mr Eyre. Later that year, Jacobite rebels entered Preston and proclaimed Prince James Edward Stuart King of England. They used Mr Eyre’s house as their headquarters until it was ‘recovered by a large party of dismounted troops’. The marble and mosaic flooring in front of the counter includes the arms of the Borough of Preston. Preston derives its name from the old English words ‘Presta’ and ‘tun’, meaning ‘priest’s town’. The Holy Lamb emblem is centuries old, associated with St Wilfred, a patron saint of the City of Preston.”
The TSB closed the bank in 1997 and the building could have easily fallen into disrepair, with Bass trying to turn it into a super pub in 2000, but those plans were rejected. It’s, I think, an undeniably careful and thoughtful conversion into a public house and there’s plenty more seating in the rear part of the building, and another area upstairs in what was formerly the board room.
As for the reviews, I’ve found that nearly every JD Wetherspoon venue gets a score of between 3.8 and 4.1 on Google Reviews, with this one no different at 4.0%. Looking at the reviews…..
“My wife and I waited for 18 minutes but no one showed up to take our order, one waiter was on the phone the whole time we were there. He kept on looking at us but didn’t bother coming over or sending someone else”
I think I can work out the problem here with the customer wondering why the waiter didn’t come over.
“Me and my partner walked in here 50 mins ago and ordered 2 drinks each on the app. Drinks still not arrived. Been sat here waiting nearly an hour, yet I’ve seen people walk up to the bar and walk away with their drinks within minute. There is no way to cancel an order on the app so we are stuck here indefinitely. Rubbish. Will be leaving whenever they finally arrive.”
I think I might have walked over to the bar at this point. I wonder if they’re still there.
“THANKS FOR SIMONELLA POISNING! There food is absolutely awful me and my 16mouth daughter got Simonella poisning from the chicken and burgers.”
Interesting spelling. And likely complete piffle.
Anyway, I didn’t order any beer, but I noted that they had four guest ales including from Oakham, Sambrooks, Robinsons and Batemans, all at £2.29 a pint which is something of a bargain. I thought that the whole arrangement was interesting and well managed, and it maintained a decent atmosphere despite being of quite a cavernous size.
