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Gosta Green Pub

S

sylviasayers

master brummie
Following Dollyferret's photos of old Brum, yesterday went to the Gosta Green, previously the Pot of Beer and before that the Holt Arms or Inn. What a shock -
they have completely gutted the interior and extended it towards the rear, one long bar, lots of Tv's, gaming machines, large screen about 15ft square at the back, all turned up to full volume to accompany the discordant music. The light shades were huge oil drums cut in half, flooring that industrial stuff, in large areas.

I was SO disappointed as mentioned before my grandad was born there and my gt.gt. grandad was landlord from at least 1867 to 1876, I expected some changes we have to move with the times, but this was truly the WORST pub inside that I have ever seen. I suppose it was a commercial decision to cater for the students at Aston University, but compared with how it was when it was the Pot of Beer - words can't adequately describe it. JUST SHEER VANDALISM.
 
Sylvia. Like you say its to cater for the students, I dont drink much but would sooner have quite music and smoke free
( forgive me for the last bit ) with a nostalgic look and feel to it. That's old fashion so that would never do, l am
pleased to see they have saved some of the past around Broad Street and it looks great the Old and the New
together.
 
You wouldn't have been so disappointed in the 'Sacks of Potatoes', on Gosta Green itself, which is still a real pub. Another nice one not far away is the 'Bull' in what is left of Loveday Street, corner of Price Street, and the big 'Barton's Arms' is hardly a mile away.
Peter
 
Peter, we did look in the Sacks of Potatoes but as we aren't really drinkers didn't bother to go in. We had a walk round the area and I was pleased to see the old drinking fountain structure was still preserved albeit without the ornate structure on the top, and the front part of the old Delicia Cinema is used as a Conference Centre. I have heard the Bull is a good pub, and know the Bartons Arms very well, for many years we held the Burlington/Upper Thomas Street Reunions there. I only wanted to go to the old Holt Arms for its family connection, which unfortunately I didn't know of when I worked at Delta Metals and used to have the occasional lunchtime drink there with colleagues, when it was called the Pot of Beer.
 
Anyone know the history of this building at the Gosta Green pub?

I don't think you can go in this building.


Gosta Green pub near Birmingham City Council - New office building construction site at Birmingham Science Park Aston by ell brown, on Flickr


Gosta Green pub near Birmingham City Council - New office building construction site at Birmingham Science Park Aston by ell brown, on Flickr


Gosta Green pub near Birmingham City Council - New office building construction site at Birmingham Science Park Aston by ell brown, on Flickr

I have been inside the modern Gosta Green pub and yes it has lots of pool tables / TV's etc and a beer garden. All for the students of Aston University.

I've also once been inside the Sack of Potatoes - that looks more traditonal but is still a student pub on the student campus. There are hoardings on the old building next to the Sack of Potatoes, on the former Delicia cinema.
 
Ell, the Gosta Green pub ex Holt Arms, was part of the old Holt Brewery, the corner of Holt Street and Lister Street, the brewery buildings were still there when I visited. ,
 
I found the following text from a book called Birmingham Pubs

Where a lot of Birmingham's beer came from: inside the semi-automatic brewhouse as Ansells' No. 2 Brewery, Gosta Green. This was the old Holt's brewery, rebuilt in 1965 but closed just seven years later. (The offices became the Pot of Beer pub.)
Click to expand...
 
Here is Holte's brewery on the map in 1889. i think the building on the photo is the one in red. I think a bit of the original was chopped off, probably to widen the gateway.
I notice that opposite the bewery was the Great Lister works (manure). It must have been an interesting smelling area !
mike

map_1868_holte_brewery.JPG
 
Faraday Wharf is now opposite (home of Advantage West Midlands).

The Digbeth Branch Canal still runs behind all the modern office buidlings around here.
 
Mike. That's what I remember, Birmingham's smells - the gasworks was overpowering but you could also sort out the other smells. The breweries had quite a pleasant smell so did those little cake shops that baked on their own premises.
 
Ernie
I agree that smells used to be so different. Not talking about birmingham, but what I remember was the smell from the little bakery (only bread , not
cakes) where they heated the oven by burning thin dried branches of wood in the oven and then put the bread in to cook. Never tasted bread like it since, and the smell from the bakery was something else.
Mike
 
Mike, I was thinking of one shop in particular along Great Lister Street ( the name escapes me at the moment and my records are in complete disarray.) They used to cook various fruit tarts or pies with a crust covering and displayed them it the window, the aroma that came through the shop doorway was enough to send everyone to the shop window to see what delights were on sale there. I never did get a taste only a look and went to get a 1d piece of bread pudding down the road.
 
I regularly used to go in the Pot Of Beer in the 70s but not sure if this is the place I remember. Did it have a couple of steps from the entrance down into the bar? I seem to remember a largish bar in the middle of the room, red plush seats, heavy old tables. Place had very high ceilings and loads of antique type stuff all around. Could get decent beer in there and had a great atmosphere. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
I regularly used to go in the Pot Of Beer in the 70s but not sure if this is the place I remember. Did it have a couple of steps from the entrance down into the bar? I seem to remember a largish bar in the middle of the room, red plush seats, heavy old tables. Place had very high ceilings and loads of antique type stuff all around. Could get decent beer in there and had a great atmosphere. Viv.
Click to expand...

This sounds like the Pot of Beer not so sure about the steps down into it though. This building on the corner of Holt St and Gt Lister St was formally part of the offices of The Holt Brewery.The water was pumped out of the ground and had a different taste from Ansells of Aston the locals preferred to drink it and were most upset when taken over by big brother.Dek
 
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