WITH news that the owners of one of Huddersfield's best-loved real ale pubs are selling up, attention has shifted to the building just yards away.
Throughout the 16 years the Rat and Ratchet in Chapel Hill has been run by Andrew and Maxine Moorhouse, it has built up a reputation as a connoisseurs' favourite.
But next to it - on the other side of Dale Street - used to be another popular pub, the Old Clarence Inn.
Standing three stories high and immediately overlooking the Rat and Ratchet, the Old Clarence - now neglected and worn - last saw life as an inn during the 1930s.
It had a colourful history as a lodging house and umbrella shop - and decades as a lively pub.
Throughout its 68 years as a drinking den, it had 20 known licensees.
The last was Thomas Meagh, who arrived in 1930.
The building went up in 1843 and was the brainchild of John Turner, an innkeeper from Oldham, Huddersfield cabinet maker Benjamin Turner and a Brighouse hairdresser, Joseph Turner.
It is likely the trio were brothers.
Snapshots of life at the building throughout the decades are provided by census details.
By 1861, an umbrella maker had set up home with his family, which included three daughters, two sons and a grandmother.
Then, 20 years later, it was a lodging house with 17 residents.
Until the 1930s the Old Clarence was a welcoming pub.
But by 1932 the end had come. Magistrates objected to the renewal of the licence, supported by police who described the premises as dangerous.
It was feared that if fire broke out there would be a real danger to the people inside.
The building has now fallen into disrepair, with smashed or boarded-up windows.
It presents a sorry sight when compared to its heyday as both a private house and a lodging house, proudly advertising its rooms.
