The Vines (The Big House)
Grade II* listed 1907 Robert Cain pub on Lime Street
The Vines, known locally as the Big House, is a Grade II* listed Edwardian pub at 81 Lime Street, Liverpool. It was built in 1907 for brewer Robert Cain to designs by Walter W. Thomas, architect of the Philharmonic, and its 2023 restoration by the 1936 Pub Co. won CAMRA's Historic England Conservation Award in 2024.
- Address
- 81 Lime Street, Liverpool, L1 1JQ
- Cuisine
- Historic pub
- Established
- 1907
- Building
- The Vines public house
- Built
- Edwardian (1907)
- Nearest station
- Liverpool Lime Street
Walter W. Thomas's neo-Baroque corner pub
The Vines takes its name from Albert B. Vines, who opened a pub on the site in 1867, according to CAMRA. The present building dates from 1907, when it was rebuilt for Robert Cain & Sons to designs by Walter W. Thomas, who had earlier designed the Philharmonic Dining Rooms. Historic England describes it as neo-Baroque: three storeys and attic in sandstone ashlar, with Dutch gables, pink-granite facings to the ground floor and a domed corner tower; a clock by E. J. Dent & Co. projects over Lime Street.
Inside, the plasterwork is by the Bromsgrove Guild and H. Gustave Hiller, with carved mahogany woodwork throughout, elaborate fireplaces and a wave-shaped beaten-copper bar counter. The former billiard room has a stained-glass dome. CAMRA singles out the smoke room, with zodiac plasterwork, a putti frieze and a Viking-ship relief fireplace, as one of the most ornate pub rooms in the country.
The building was listed Grade II* on 14 March 1975 and is a three-star entry on CAMRA's National Inventory. After a period of decline it was restored by the 1936 Pub Co. and reopened in March 2023; the work, which uncovered original 1907 tiling and restored the dome and plasterwork, won the Historic England Conservation Award at CAMRA's 2024 Pub Design Awards.
Signature dishes
CAMRA lists five regular cask ales alongside rotating guests, with pies and platters served.
- 01
Titanic Plum Porter
Regular cask ale from Titanic Brewery
- 02
Timothy Taylor Landlord
Regular cask pale ale
- 03
Ossett Silver King
Regular cask ale from Ossett Brewery
- 04
Salopian Shropshire Gold
Regular cask golden ale
- 05
Theakston Best Bitter
Regular cask bitter
- Mon–Thu
- 12:00–01:00
- Fri
- 12:00–02:00
- Sat
- 11:00–02:00
- Sun
- 11:00–01:00
Good to know
Why is The Vines called the Big House?
It is the pub's long-standing local nickname, used in its own branding as The Vines Big House.
Who designed The Vines?
Walter W. Thomas, for Robert Cain & Sons, in 1907 — the same architect as the Philharmonic Dining Rooms.
Is The Vines listed?
Yes, it is Grade II* listed (NHLE 1084210), listed in 1975.
Who restored The Vines?
The 1936 Pub Co., which reopened it in March 2023; the restoration won a Historic England Conservation Award from CAMRA in 2024.
