"Alan Roulstone the Pub Artist"

Alan Roulstone was a native of Grantham in Lincolnshire. He received his formal training at the Nottingham University School of Art, where he specialized in wood-engraving; an exacting medium which it was his ambition to continue working in professionally. It was not to be, and in 1949, a year after settling in North Wales, he accidentally found himself turned pub artist working with mapping-pens and India ink rather than the tools and materials he was better used to. He was to continue drawing pubs until 1987, "living" in the process in virtually every county in England and Wales, and publishing in the region of three-dozen illustrated regional guidebooks to inns and taverns, the most ambitious of which, appearing in 1973, was a "National" edition in his series under the general title Travellers Rest.

	ALAN ROULSTONE PUB ARTIST (1918-1989)
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Publications Alan Roulstone West Arms Llanarmon Boat Inn Erbistock Old Bull Horncastle Ye Olde Poppe Inne Tatworth Moon & Sixpence Tintern Old Mill Shipston-on-Stour Victoria Hotel Llanbedr Lake Bank Hotel Blawith Kings Head Five Lanes Silver Plough Pitton New Inn Phillack Three Crowns Chagford Anchor Inn Bettws-y-Crwyn Bicknoller Inn Bicknoller Blue Pig Grantham Bell Inn Stilton Ye Olde Plough Bolnhurst Black Swan Much Dewchurch Sondes Arms Rockingham Black Bull Mkt Overton Bewicke Arms Hallaton Salusbury Arms Tremeirchion Cock Inn Sibson The Pub History Society	Alan Roulstone was a native of Grantham in Lincolnshire. He received his formal training at the Nottingham University School of Art, where he specialized in wood-engraving; an exacting medium which it was his ambition to continue working in professionally. It was not to be, and in 1949, a year after settling in North Wales, he accidentally found himself turned pub artist working with mapping-pens and India ink rather than the tools and materials he was better used to. He was to continue drawing pubs until 1987, "living" in the process in virtually every county in England and Wales, and publishing in the region of three-dozen illustrated regional guidebooks to inns and taverns, the most ambitious of which, appearing in 1973, was a "National" edition in his series under the general title Travellers Rest.
		Roulstone's first pub drawing, made in 1949, was of the entrance-hall of the West Arms at Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Clwyd. Far more sketch-like than his later work, it nevertheless exhibits him focusing on an attractive fireplace and a single overhead beam, which was to become something of a trademark as time passed.
		A much more detailed interior is seen in his 1951 view of the Boat Inn at Erbistock, Clwyd. Here an old settle has been singled out for special attention, and this too was to become something of a hallmark with this artist whenever one was available for incorporation. Interestingly, Roulstone's "pub-crawl for life" having not yet got fully into its stride, this is very obviously a drawing by one who was originally a wood-engraver.
Michael Roulstone Publications [ Back to Top ] _{The Alan Roulstone collection © 2000 Michael Roulstone}