Half a million people pass through the doors of the building each year, as Conor Macauley reports
It is a must-see stop for thirsty tourists.
Belfast's Crown Bar, a Victorian gin palace decorated by Italian artisan builders in the 1800s, is a draw for its mosaic tiles, gas lamps and cosy snugs.
The building is listed and protected, but half a million people passing through its doors are bound to leave their mark.
All that traffic into the building and on the streets outside caused damage.
So now the National Trust, which owns the Crown Bar, external, is spending £300,000 on renovations.
A team of conservationists has been called in to carry out repairs on the fixtures and fittings
'Deep clean'
A team of conservationists will spend the next six weeks cleaning, steaming and re-touching the period fittings.
The bar is staying open, so drinkers can watch the work unfold.
"With all the visitors comes plenty of wear and tear," said Claire Magill of the National Trust.
"Being based on a busy street in Belfast, we've got plenty of dirt and pollutants from outside as well.
"So we are trying to give the bar a good deep clean and repair any damage."
'Misguided'
Some of the damage is caused by the thousands of visiting tourists.
The bar is staying open during the renovation, so customers can watch the repairs as they drink
People from Canada, Italy and America have all carved their initials and the date of their visits into the 11 oak and mahogany snugs.
It is a practice that only started relatively recently, but it means a huge amount of work for furniture conservator Fergus Purdy.
Customers have damaged the bar's interior by carving their names into the woodwork
The damaged woodwork requires painstaking repairs
"It is hard to understand and I think a lot of it is misguided," he said.
"In recent years some people seem to have begun to think that it's the done thing, when really it's not."
The bar staff warn that if they catch people carving their initials they will throw them out.
'Social history'
The other big concern is the state of the papier-mâché ceiling.
The original gas fittings are attractive, but the soot they produce is acidic and has damaged it.
The bar's papier-mâché ceiling has been damaged by soot from its gas light fittings
But not all the wear and tear is being repaired.
Erosion on the tiles on the corner of the street outside is being retained.
It was caused by fish and newspaper sellers who had a pitch there over the decades.
It is being kept as part of the social history of the building.
Erosion on tiles on the street outside the pub is being retained
- Published10 January 2014
