Vine Inn Lichfield Road Aston

[ellbrown]

Heading back to Aston Station from Aston Hall, I spotted this derelict pub in a sorry state. Was The Vine on Lichfield Road.

 

[Vivienne14]

Think it's days might be numbered. So often members have reported decaying pubs on here, only to see them go up in flames soon afterwards. Hope that's not the case here ..... It's a whopper of a site. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

hi pen its sandy lane to the left of the pub and park st to the right of it...ive taken photos of it a few time over the years waiting for something to happen as at one time there was some work going on round the back..maybe they run out of money as its looking doomed to me now..just notice there is a map on post 121

lyn

 

[Morturn]

Quite sad to see another landmark from my childhood about to be lost. Some local guy said to me that it was the only pub in the UK that was on a Road, Street and a Lane.

Maybe not true, but it was his way of giving his neighbourhood a unique character.

 

[Frothblower]

The Vine was painted in a lovely shade of green. When it closed it was painted white for some reason?

 

[Astoness]

not much change from the last photos taken but i did manage to get an inside shot as one of the windows is broken...looks pretty much gutted inside..taken yesterda

lyn

 

[Radiorails]

It might appear that some work in progressing there Lyn. Your photo of the interior shows what look rather like a newly plastered wall - how appropriate for a pub.

 

[Astoness]

alan..point taken....well whatever this ex pub turns out to be i hope they remove all that nasty white cladding...much prefer to see the original brickwork...mind you thats just my old fashioned opinion

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

Is this building a mix of different periods and additions ? It looks to me that it originally had only one storey above the ground floor. And are the rear buildings later additions ? Hard to work out what's original. Viv.

 

[Frothblower]

The Vine was a lovely looking pub. When it closed someone came along and white washed it and that's how it's looked for years!

 

[Astoness]

Is this building a mix of different periods and additions ? It looks to me that it originally had only one storey above the ground floor. And are the rear buildings later additions ? Hard to work out what's original. Viv.

it is hard to work out viv but it sure takes up some space...not sure if looking at an old map would help

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

It was quite a place Lyn in 1866. This announces the opening of it's pleasure grounds. Viv.


From the Birmingham Daily Post.

 

[Astoness]

viv i know its a big place but looking at the layout i wonder where they found the outside space for a bowling green and pleasure grounds...would love to get a better look..at least it can be dated to at least 1866 and i wonder where the name cremorne gardens came from....very interesting

 

[mikejee]

Lyn
Dont think map gives us anything

 

[Radiorails]

Cremorne seems to crop up in a few places. Such as a district in Sydney, Australia, gardens in Birmingham and Kensington & Chelsea SW10, road names also in SW10 and Four Oaks,Sutton Coldfield, a hotel in Sheffield and a pub in Aberdeen.
https://www.definitions.net/definition/cremorn
There are other interpretations but I won't post here.

 

[Pedrocut]

It was quite a place Lyn in 1866. This announces the opening if it's pleasure grounds. Viv.

View attachment 122170
From the Birmingham Daily Post.

Platform for Dancing! Pleasure Grounds!

Why the exclamation marks, is it some kind of Table Dancing?

 

[Astoness]

mike the first map looks to me as though that circle enclosure could have been the pleasure gardens situated outside the wall of the main pub building ...2nd map looks like the enclosure has gone and houses built..

lyn

 

[mikejee]

Yes Lyn, I think the area behind in the c 1889 map must be where the cremorne gardens were, they seem to have gone long before the other c1950 map

 

[Astoness]

yes mike i didnt think that there would be enough space within the pubs wall for the gardens and a bowling green....its a bit strange mike as the 1889 map shows no houses...the 1950 shows houses so the life span of the houses were pretty short lived before they were demolished and it looks as though they started from next to the pub on the park st side cutting over what is now park st so was that newish street i wonder or maybe that little bit of park st from sandy lane was just an add on...mike could we look at a larger area of around there on both the 1889 and 1950s please just to compere...thank you mike

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5...4!1sBxHiRmR3uOGQxZAvNWQTQQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

 

[mikejee]

Here you are Lyn,
Also on on smaller scale for c 1904. Afraid quality of 1950 is poor. Tried to enhance but have exagerated oldmaps watermark.

 

[Astoness]

cheers mike as i thought that little bit of park st from sandy lane is an add one..amazing what history we can find out about just from posting a couple of photos...

 

[Ray Griffiths]

not much change from the last photos taken but i did manage to get an inside shot as one of the windows is broken...looks pretty much gutted inside..taken yesterda

lyn

View attachment 122167 View attachment 122163 View attachment 122164 View attachment 122165 View attachment 122166 View attachment 122167

not much change from the last photos taken but i did manage to get an inside shot as one of the windows is broken...looks pretty much gutted inside..taken yesterda

lyn

View attachment 122167 View attachment 122163 View attachment 122164 View attachment 122165 View attachment 122166 View attachment 122167

not much change from the last photos taken but i did manage to get an inside shot as one of the windows is broken...looks pretty much gutted inside..taken yesterda

lyn

View attachment 122167 View attachment 122163 View attachment 122164 View attachment 122165 View attachment 122166 View attachment 122167

Hi Lyn Happy New Year what a shock to see the Vine like this

Time can do what all the German bombs couldn't do across the road the corner was flattened.

I lived across the road at 4 Sandy Lane I used to go in the side door which was the out door to my Nan a jug of Stout and a bag Smiths Crisps for fetching it. just down from the vine was Mathews fruit & veg shop.
It was always a very poplar public house

 

[Ray Griffiths]

yes mike i didnt think that there would be enough space within the pubs wall for the gardens and a bowling green....its a bit strange mike as the 1889 map shows no houses...the 1950 shows houses so the life span of the houses were pretty short lived before they were demolished and it looks as though they started from next to the pub on the park st side cutting over what is now park st so was that newish street i wonder or maybe that little bit of park st from sandy lane was just an add on...mike could we look at a larger area of around there on both the 1889 and 1950s please just to compere...thank you mike

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5...4!1sBxHiRmR3uOGQxZAvNWQTQQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Hi Mike
I lived across the road from the Vine there was yard behind the pub but I don't remember an area big enough for a bowling green they used to stack the the empty barrels in it.
I was born there in 1938 to 1942 but used visit Gran at 6 Sandy Lane mid sixties

 

[Astoness]

hello ray and a happy new year to you..if you look at mikes first map on post 170 you can see the enclosed circle where the garden and most likely bowling green was...this was gone long before you lived round there...very sad to this this pub in such a state...

lyn

 

[cookie273uk]

If people cease using a pub then I cannot see what the pub owners/breweries can do, if it ceases to make a profit it simply as to close sad as it may be. It does not help the cause when supermarkets sell cheap beer/spirits, smoking banned in pubs and other forms of entertainment competing with them. When I was young in Aston there appeared to be a pub on every corner, this is simply no longer viable hence the closures. I agree it s all very sad, I have spent many a happy hour in the Vine, King Edward, Grosvener Arms etc... all sadly gone. Eric

 

[Astoness]

i agree with you there eric and of course in and around lichfield road and of course many other areas there is just not the housing there used to be...its more industrial now

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

This advert in the Birmingham Journal, May 1863, takes the Vine a little further back in time. The advert is for an auction of the pub and suggests it's well established by 1863. The grounds are also described. It includes about an acre of garden land, plus quoits, skittles and bowling alley. Viv.

 

[Astoness]

thanks viv an interesting read...so now we know it goes back before 1863..

lyn

 

[mikejee]

Here is a mention from 1851.



Also there is evidence that at one time lichfield road here was called aston road, and if so this is an even later one from 1848:

 

[Vivienne14]

Helpful to know Lichfield Road was once Aston Road at this point. And a little earlier from Aris' Gazette in September 1844 it puts the Vine 'Aston Road' near the viaduct. At this date it had an established pleasure ground.

Think it would be worth having a separate thread for the Vine. If no one objespcts, shall set one up later today. Viv.