World's biggest Wetherspoons is 11,000sq ft Grade II hall right on the beach
A beautiful former concert hall dating back to 1903 that overlooks the sea is home to the world's biggest Wetherspoons.
The Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate, which sits right on the beach, is a Grade II listed building that was taken on by the chain after falling into disrepair.
The pub was opened by HRH Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll in 1904 and is now a popular drinking spot for locals and visitors to the seaside town in Kent.
It was originally built as a concert hall and assembly rooms and was designed by architect Stanley Davenport Adshead.
The interior design is thought to have been inspired by the Little Theatre at Versailles before being simplified in the 1930s.
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The impressive interior, with its large staircase leading to a mezzanine level (JD Whetherspoon)In more recent years the 11,000sq ft building has been used as both a nightclub and casino, eventually shutting down in 2008.
It remained derelict until Wetherspoons spent a whopping £4.5 million on a makeover, bringing the building back to its former glory.
The interior boasts striking light fittings hanging from the high ceilings, dark wood floors, panelling and furniture, green walls and a huge staircase that leads up to a mezzanine level.
Pictures on the wall recall Ramsgate's interesting history.
In the summer you can sit out on the terrace and enjoy the impressive view (JD Whetherspoon)When the pub opened former mayor Trevor Shonk told the Sun: “This is the best thing that’s happened to Ramsgate for a long time. It’s amazing what they’ve done here."
A TripAdvisor reviewer wrote: "A more stunning building you won’t find- inside and out. Such friendly, helpful staff every single time we visit.
"We went in the winter so obviously sat inside, but there is ample seating outside overlooking the beach - would be a fab place to while away the hours in summer."
The building boasts 11,000sq ft of drinking space (JD Whetherspoon)In the autumn JD Wetherspoon announced it was selling off 39 of its pubs after warning that it could face loses of £30 million due to rising staff wages and repairs.
The first Wetherspoons was opened in 1979 in London's Muswell Hill. For the first month it was called Martin’s Free House, but was renamed Wetherspoons in 1980.
Wetherspoon was the name of one of Martin's teachers, who told him he would never be a success.
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The company began opening more pubs in north London, and went from there, opening more and more branches around the country.
The Royal Victoria Pavilion was completed in 1903 (PA)The company floated on the Stock Exchange on 1992 and became JD Wetherspoon plc.
The 'JD' part of the company name 'JD Wetherspoons' was taken from a character in the US TV series The Dukes of Hazzard.
In July 1998 Wetherspoons opened 20 pubs in one month - including seven on the same day.
The much-loved pub chain is known for its cheap food and drink, and is almost always the least expensive drinking venue in a town.
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