The Manor House

The Manor House is a public house at 14 Melbourn Street in Royston, Hertfordshire, England, operated under the J D Wetherspoon brand. It occupies a Grade II listed former town house dating from the early 18th century, with a left-hand block added in 1887–98. The decorative iron railings at the front were removed during World War II, and the tree-lined garden at the rear has since become a car park. A plaque by the front door states that 'Royston Manor House' was the name 'adopted in October 1948' for what later became known as The Manor House Club. As a Wetherspoon pub, The Manor House follows the chain's standard format: a large, value-focused, food-and-drink-led pub open from morning until late, seven days a week. The official listing shows opening hours of 8:00am to midnight Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and 8:00am to 1:00am on Friday and Saturday. Children under 18 are only permitted on the premises between 8:00am and 9:00pm. Facilities include Wi-Fi, TV screens, a licensed outside area, baby-change facilities, meeting facilities and step-free access. Customers can order food and drinks to their table via the Wetherspoon app. The pub participates in Wetherspoon's national promotional calendar, including the twice-yearly real-ale festivals. The official page highlights an autumn beer festival running from Wednesday 7 to Sunday 18 October, offering a range of 30 real ales including five from international brewers in China, Denmark, Singapore, Ukraine and the USA — the first time brewers from Singapore and Ukraine had taken part. It also promotes the Wetherspoon Christmas menu (available from Thursday 12 November until Thursday 31 December, excluding Christmas Day) and a spritz cocktail range of nine classic and fruity recipes. The Manor House is one of many individually named Wetherspoon pubs, each with its own local history and architectural character. Its identity is closely tied to the Grade II listed building it occupies, which English Heritage included on its Buildings at Risk Register. The pub is part of J D Wetherspoon plc, the UK pub company founded by Tim Martin, whose first pub opened in 1979 and which was floated on the Stock Exchange in 1992.

The building now occupied by The Manor House is a Grade II listed former town house dating from the early 18th century. Its left-hand block, as viewed from the street, was added in 1887–98. The decorative iron railings at the front were removed during World War II, and the tree-lined garden at the rear was later converted into a car park. English Heritage included the property on its Buildings at Risk Register. A plaque by the front door, described as hidden behind overgrown bushes, states that 'Royston Manor House' was the name 'adopted in October 1948' for what later became known as The Manor House Club. The site lies in Royston, a town believed to have been established at the crossing of the two Roman roads Ermine Street and Icknield Way, an important meeting point marked by the Roysia Stone. Wetherspoon's own pub-history text notes the local belief that two ley lines — the Michael and Mary Lines — cross at the same place, running from St Michael's Mount in Cornwall through Stonehenge to Royston and onwards to Hopton in Suffolk. The pub now trades as part of J D Wetherspoon plc. That company's history began on 9 December 1979, when its first pub — purchased from an entrepreneur who had converted it from a bookmaker's — opened in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London. For its first month it was called Martin's Free House, but was renamed Wetherspoons early in 1980. In the early years all of the company's pubs were in north London, with the head office above The Dog in Archway. Wetherspoon hosted its first real-ale festival in 1990, lasting four days and featuring six beers; today each Wetherspoon pub takes part in the twice-yearly beer festival, offering up to 50 beers each, 10 of them from overseas. In 1991 the company opened The Tally Ho in North Finchley with a dedicated non-smoking bar upstairs, one of several initiatives it pursued before the smoking ban of July 2007. That year also saw the launch of the CBS (cleanliness, beer and service) scheme, the first edition of Wetherspoon News, and the opening of Hamilton Hall at Liverpool Street station — the company's first central London and first train-station pub. In 1992 Wetherspoon opened its first airport pubs at Heathrow Terminal 4 and floated on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60. As a Wetherspoon house, The Manor House carries this national operating model into a historic Hertfordshire building, combining the chain's standard all-day food and drink offer with the architectural character and local history of its Grade II listed premises.

• 1992

  Wetherspoon floats on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60.

• 1990

  Wetherspoon hosts its first real-ale festival, lasting four days with six beers.

• 1979

  J D Wetherspoon's first pub opens in Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December.

• 1948

  The name 'Royston Manor House' is adopted in October for what later became known as The Manor House Club, per a plaque by the front door.

Value-focused, high-volume community pub within the J D Wetherspoon national chain, set in a Grade II listed historic building.

• Autumn beer festival real ales

  A range of 30 real ales, including five from international brewers in China, Denmark, Singapore, Ukraine and the USA, available during a 12-day festival from Wednesday 7 to Sunday 18 October.

• Christmas menu

  Festive food available at Wetherspoon's pubs from Thursday 12 November until Thursday 31 December, excluding Christmas Day.

• Spritz cocktail range

  A choice of nine classic and fruity spritz recipes.

1. 1The Manor House - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
2. 2History - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
3. 3The Manor House - J D Wetherspoon (pub history)jdwetherspoon.com
4. 4About us - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
5. 5Royston Manor House - Wikidatawikidata.org