Pubs Old & New

[oldboots]

Some of you will be pleased to know that my keeping-busy-during-the-lockdown experiment to look at one beer-related story in more detail than previously done here (or almost anywhere else, so far as I know) was already coming to an end.

With two of the last six aspects planned (i.e. the former Guinness hop farms at Bodiam and the Hadlow maltings) already covered, I hope that forbearance will be shown by those who may wish to avert their eyes for the last four items in order that the 'narrative arc' may be completed.

However, I think the idea of looking at some facet of the history of beer or pubs in more detail is a good one, so why doesn't somebody else give it a go? Breweries and brewing? Malt and maltings? Pub architecture and architects? Listed pubs? Community pubs? Pub rock? Pub signs? Beer bottle labels? Beer mats? The possibilities are almost endless.

I would but I have recurring trouble uploading photos which would make things a little boring if it was text only.

example:

The King William IV is a typical Edwardian building but the name suggests the pub opened between 1830 and 1837, this is also the time when a lot of beerhouses were opening, the pub was definitely open in 1837 and being run by John Richardson, incidentely in 1851 the landlord was one Michael Theakston. It's a common name hereabouts so there's no reason to think he was closely related to the brewing family.


The stained glass windows are notable, I suspect the WR means West Riding but I've been unable to track down a brewery using that as a trade name pre-WW1. The pub is currently rented by "Nick Stafford's" Hambleton Ales as their brewery tap.


Just to the side and behind is a former industrial building now used as a bar, it may have been associated with malting as John Richardson is also listed as a maltster. The area to the right of this, visible in the photo as a road going uphill and a carpark of builder's vans, was a row of terraced houses between the white gable end and the edge of the pub on the extreme left, somewhere in the middle was the Oddfellows Arms.


Just round the corner is Westgate a street that once had five trading pubs plus a temperance hotel at one time, it now has one open pub, the Black Swan. From the corner, where there was another pub called The Black Horse which became the Co-Op and is now a carpet shop, we climb a gentle hill passing the White Swan to the right, almost next door was the Blue Bell and opposite the Slip Inn. Both are long closed but the pub buildings remain. The Slip Inn was the building with the bay window and street light where the pub sign used to be.


Further up the hill stood the Green Dragon, the site now occupied by the shop with the blue windows and the Alexandra which was where the building on the right distance with the fancy balustrade now stands. The Alexandra was formerly the Coach & Horses but in common with a number of British pubs was renamed in 1863 to celebrate the marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Both pubs were lost in a road widening scheme of the early 20th century, this is a theme we will return to, the original building frontage was where the bin and railings are on the left.