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The Britannia Lichfield Road Aston

roger a

master brummie
took this picture while out on my bike
 

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what a wonderful building indeed!Does anyone know if it is a lsted building and how long it has been closed?i think my dad used to drink there when we lived in good old Aston,look forward to any comments.
 
hi steve
many thanks for that cracking pic it as memorys for me
i used to live up the lichfield rd by thompsons the butchers and my grand parents used to own a coffee house more or less next to the next pub up from the britt which is the vine which i am told many years ago is a listed grade building
as to why it as not been demolishes, but in the next breath the one further along from the britt going towards the resser the one before the king edward
some-think taverern was to beleive years ago it was a grade builsding
but i beleive they have finaly demolished it so we will have to wait and see ,
i think its a better looking building than the vine from out side and in
and i think it will be a graded pub and should be saved
i know one thing or two about that place but if only walls could speak you would hear some trmoused storys and the going ons if i am allowed to say and they do not block my thread for useing the word it was a gangesters pub ,
and i mean gangesters pub not your ordinary common crook joe bloggs
but i do hope they list it and save from the bulldozers
but any way steve , some body on the the forum whom as inside knowlede on grade building may be help us on it and may be tell us yesor no to your question
best weishes astonion ;;;
 
My uncle Harold Cowell was licensee of The Britannia just before WW2. When I worked at Foseco in the 1970's we sometimes went there lunchtimes.

I didn't know it was closed - shame.

Big Gee
 
I took this yesterday while waiting at the traffic lights. I wanted to get the pub as well but we turned off. The decor on these buildings is simply wonderful.
 

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nice one wend...do you know if the pub is still open...will look for an old pic of it...

lyn:)
 
well thats good news then wend...:) still trying to find another shot of it...will keep looking..

lyn:)
 
found this picture and to be honest i pass it a lot and it never looks open to me but next time i pass i will make a point of finding out
 

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nice pic paul..what a magnificent building surely this will be preserved...with a lot of luck:rolleyes:

thanks for posting..

lyn:)
 
Unfortunately the pub has been closed for at least the last two years.
I personally don't think it will ever open as a pub again.
but hopefully the building can be saved, maybe with a change of use.
Fingers crossed.
 
I often come down Queens Rd when i go to my office can,t help but notice the front of the Brit when you stop at the traffic lights on Lichfield Rd it,s got to be listed surly lets hope in dosn,t have one of those mysterious fires that are always started by vandalls. . Dek
 
Hi Wendy.
There is a sign on the front door saying "Under New Management" but that's been there for nearly 2 years.
The door and windows at ground level have ply panels on them so it's definately not in use as a pub but it looks like the upstairs is used by some sort of college.
 
Well what a wealth of info from one photo took at the lights in the car.......that's what I love about this site. Thanks everyone! Now we have to find out if it's listed.
 
hello all, i used to run a dance at the britt in the early 60's when i was the drummer in the group that used to be resident there.

shardeen
 
thanks to all for the info on this pub....as wendy said it would be good to know thats its listed but the main question is will it ever be used again or will it be left to rot and decay like so many pubs have:(

lyn
 
The Britannia, 287 Lichfield Road, was run by my Great Grandfather’s brother Linneus Cutler around 1884 (From Kelly's Directory 1880). He moved into the Talford Arms in around 1884, but sadly I think that pup has long gone.

His brother my Great Grandfather, Jeremiah Cutler had the Golden Cross in Short Heath Road around the same time. Also this has now disappeared.

Their father, another Linneus Cutler, had the Hare and Hounds in Marsh Hill in 1872 which passed to his wife Emma Cutler at the turn of the century.

I known know what has been my ruination!

Best wishes, Peter
 
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hi wendy and pedro
it was a very thriving pub in the 40,s and the fiftys
you could go down there on fridays and the weekends to the dancers session
and you would see the old teddy boys in the brilliant drapes and wearing there crapes souls
shoes the old dears in those days . used to panic when ever they seen the teddy boys coming
up lichfield rd you would say to each other moved quickly away here are some teddy boys
coming pass and they would step a side
but these teddy boys never bothered any body in those days not like todays yobs
assaulting people on the buses or in the street drugged out of there brains
there was a bunch of teddys came down from king standing area that used to come to the brit
and mix with the aston tedds
and the only time i can ever record any public nuisense from the tedds in that day
when they played bill haley at rock around the clock at the cinema
at aston cross where the redds went wild in the isles and slashed the seats
at the aston picture house they was rocking and slashing at that particular time
and it was only once and only time the teddy boys had acted bad
late sixtys and seventys the old time brummie gangester moved in
well known names . but names i will and cannot mention on this forum
for reasons every body knows [ legal ] these guys are what i call the god fathers of
the crimmal under world these old people of yester year are still alive but not active
just getting there pensions now
then in the late eigtys the ypoung ones came in buy what you want ,from them .goods ;
and druggs ; come what may ;
then came the redeveloments of the top end and most of aston
and then the brewery took a dive the behive cafe afew doors away was where they turned
to of a evening ventures
it will never reopen as a pub i do beleive it was a listed building owing to its texture
but saying that we all thought the church taveren was one along the rd
but that was demolished
if those walls could talk about the days gone bye and the charecters and the exploits
you could be standing there for the next five years ;
happy new year to every one and best wishes astonian ;;
 
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