130 Ormeau Road Belfast, UK, BT7 2EB
As the saying goes, ‘You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover’, and you certainly can’t judge The Hatfield by its run-down and tatty front. The Hatfield once belonged to Braithwaite and McCann, who owned quite a few pubs back in the sixties. The name still figures prominently in large wrought iron letters on the front. The pub is at least 117 years old, and the popular landlord since December 1976 is Kevin Cassidy from south Derry.
A closer inspection of the classical influence frontage reveals a nice stone balustrade. Just below the sign, around the main entrance, superb glazed tile craftsmanship can be seen, and decorative panels, the best preserved one being that of two winged cherubs deep in conversation. The facade of this bar is probably one of the last representatives of the great flowering of pub design which terminated around the end of the Edwardian era. This decaying, but still wonderful-looking, facade is like many of the other Braithwaite and McCann houses of that time, which were nearly all clad in similarly rich materials, and were certainly eloquent expressions of the period when they came into being.
There is a nice modern lounge upstairs. Out the back door is the lovely green view of North Cricket Ground, and beyond, the mighty shipyard cranes, Samson and Goliath. To give an idea of their size, London’s Tower Bridge could fit under either one of them. It would make a nice place for a sun lounge! Thirty years ago, there used to be a Doctor’s and Dentist’s surgery to the left of the bar, with a private interior door linking both! But the real treasure of The Hatfield is unquestionably the ornate mahogany semi-circular public bar, with two rows of hand-painted tiles. At the back of the counter stands a magnificently carved mahogany cabinet, inlaid with mirrors, broken up with 10 wooden pillars, and crowned by an antique clock. To gaze upon this alone is worth a trip to The Hatfield. No wonder it has recently been declared a Listed Building. In late May, Kevin was in the middle of refurbishment, which he hopes will restore the old house to its former glory.
BAR NOTICE — If angry wives or girl friends phone, our answering charges are: He’s just left — 20p. He’s on his way — 40p. He’s not here — £1.00. Who did you say? — £2.00.