THIS week Pub Spy visited a fine traditional pub in the very heart of Worcester.

With it’s graceful furnishings and gleaming lanterns, the Imperial Tavern in St Nicholas Street conjures up a bygone age of old world style and elegance which many might imagine had almost vanished entirely from Worcester.

Every wall is covered in large framed black and white photos of the city which celebrate, and indeed make a feature of, its illustrious history.

One photo showed horses and carts trundling past the Cathedral, another featured the Market Hall and one captured The Cross when some of the first motor cars rumbled along the city’s streets.

In a time when many pub managers seem intent on ripping out the insides of traditional boozers and making them into soulless and anodyne bars, this pub is a breath of fresh air.

One can almost imagine Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders strolling in from Worcester races, lighting a big cigar in contravention of the smoking ban and giving the landlord an approving nod (not that I’m in anyway suggesting the Imperial is the haunt of gangsters, far from it).

Pub Spy understands there has been a pub – with names including the Yorkshire Arms and the Brewers Arms - on the site for about 300 years. The Victorian building was known as the Imperial Hotel until Black Country Ales bought Woo Bar in 2015.

When I arrived I found the barmaid to be friendly, polite and welcoming. She and the landlord had a good rapport with their customers and seemed well liked by them.

I paid £5.20 for a pint of Pig on the Wall (Black Country Ales) and a cheese roll which seemed excellent value to me.

The pub also sells crusty cobs, pork pies and scotch eggs, all for £2 each. Customers can also take advantage of an early bird offer (noon to 7pm, Monday to Friday) when you can buy a pint of BFG and a Pig on the Wall for only £2.70, certainly a bargain in this day and age.

Despite the pub’s traditional appearance it is very far from being stuck in the past. The Imperial offers free Wi-Fi to customers. A large screen lies tucked away in a corner for showing sport. A football match was on when I arrived but the pub is also showing Rugby World Cup games.

The Imperial is much more spacious, one might almost say cavernous, than is apparent when viewing it from the outside and I could tell it was a place that would see some lively banter.

A woman ordered a pint of ‘Big Willie’ only to insist she only wanted a small one. There really is no pleasing some women.

“You’re my new best friend!”another woman announced to the barmaid as the customer reluctantly departed, her husband waiting patiently by the door.

“An English delicacy!” the barmaid said with a wry smile when a customer ordered a packet of crisps before she extolled the virtues of the Real Handcooked brand.

If you’re looking for a traditional pub with lots of local character, great real ales and a warm welcome then the Imperial is the place to be.