Historic England, a preservation agency of the British government tasked with preserving the country's architectural heritage, has numerous historic cathedrals, modernist marvels and noteworthy buildings that need its attention. But, as its recent move to list historic pubs across the country shows, important architecture is in the eye of the beholder (or drinker). These structures, constructed during the interwar period and evidence of a neo-Georgian or neo-Tudor design aesthetic, sought to reinvent and celebrate Englishness, and stood in quiet protest to the march of Modernist and Art Deco design that's normally the focus of preservation efforts. They're representative of a high point in British pub culture, a period when owners sought to move away from the Victorian era and project a bit more sophistication (and invite women in for a pint or two). While changes in drinking habits and cultural trends have led to a decrease in the number of pubs across the country since then (an apex of 69,000 pubs in the '80s has fallen to 48,000 now), the craft beer movement, as well as increased recognition of the cultural value of these drinking establishments, has started to turn the tide. Raise a pint and take a take a look at some of these buildings, which, even more than other historic structures, have plenty of stories to tell.
∙ Saving our historic pubs [The Telegraph]
∙ How One Man Plans to Restore the Childhood Homes of Muhammad Ali, Nina Simone and Woody Guthrie [Curbed]
∙ Closing Time for the Hotel Okura, a '60s Tokyo Time Capsule [Curbed]