Pubs and Inns of Bull Ring and Market areas from 1940s

[Dennis Williams]

Yes I know we have had thousands of Pub threads of one sort or another on this Site, but I hope this might be a bit different: interesting at least, and hopefully not rake over too many old coals.
The subjects (Pubs, Inns and Hotels) featured will be from an area roughly covering the Bull Ring and Markets areas, and be from two main decades. I have marked and numbered them on Maps provided. Beginning with the 1940s.

This little project was aided and abetted by Phil and Mikejee on another planet, and I am eternally grateful for them for filling in most of the Pub names, and I’m sure Phil will also adorn the Thread from his amazing collection of Pub photos.
The first map and list is as follows…the names will be filled in sequentially, and you are welcome to try and name some of the rest before the next instalment…I have included No 1 as a starter....



BULL RING / MARKET PUBS 1940s (numbered 1-24)



1 SWAN HOTEL, Swan Passage
2 THE COMET, High Street
3 THE BELL INN, 7 Phillips Street
4 THE BOARD INN, Phillips Street / High Street
5 THE WOOLPACK HOTEL, 8-9 Moor Street
6 THE TAMWORTH ARMS, 5 Moor Street
7 THE PHOENIX INN, 3 Park Street
8 THE RED LION, Bull Ring
9 143 Digbeth / Park Street
10 Meriden Street / Digbeth
11 Moat Lane
12 St Martins Lane
13 Edgbaston Street
14 53 Worcester Street / Bell Street
15 Bell Street / Lease Lane
16 Edgbaston Street / Pershore Street
17 Smithfield Street / Bradford Street
18 1 Moat Row / Sherlock Street East
19 Jamaica Row
20 Upper Dean Street / Pershore Street
21 Bromsgrove Street / Market Street
22 191-194 Bromsgrove Street
23 Jamaica Row
24 91 Jamaica Row / Sherlock Street



1 SWAN HOTEL, Swan Passage
Next door to Stevens bar corner High St and New St. Badly damaged during the Blitz in 1941 (as was Stevens Bar which lost two of its storeys), its undamaged entrance corridor was then incorporated into Stevens Bar, which closed in 1958 for the Inner Ring Road scheme. Swan Passage, off the top of the Bull Ring, led direct to a Courtyard of the back of the Swan Hotel.

 

[Phil]

Dennis

As you have stated, Mike and I know the names of the pubs already. So I won't name any, but I'll just say that if anybody has any any difficulty in finding a photo of one of them and if I have one I'll gladly post it.

 

[Dennis Williams]

Dennis

As you have stated, Mike and I know the names of the pubs already. So I won't name any, but I'll just say that if anybody has any any difficulty in finding a photo of one of them and if I have one I'll gladly post it.

Oh no you don't get off that lightly Phil. When the cock crows, I bet you have photos I don't or better...have you any info or photos to add of Swan Hotel / Passage story?

 

[Phil]

Dennis

Sorry mate the only information and photos of the Swan Hotel I have are the same as what you have given, looking at the photos of Stevens Bar on the corner of High St & New St I note it was another one that was closed around 1958 for serving after time or having a good old fashioned lock in. I wonder if this and the other pub we mentioned the other day were closed on this pretext because of the impending demolitions?

 

[Phil]

After doing another search of my photos I have come up with this early painting of the Swan Hotel on the High Street, but that really is all I have.

 

[mikejee]

Here is one very little titbit from the Swan's history.

 

[Dennis Williams]

Wonderful stuff boys, you NEVER let me down. So what have you got for No 2, THE COMET? All I have is a few words (nearly always nicked from Joe McKenna's Bham Pubs books), who said the following...

2 THE COMET, High Street

"Small four-storey Georgian frontage, but extended backwards for a depth of four rooms. For many years just a beer house, but got a full license when Holt’s Brewery took it over. Surrendered its license in 1928"...yet appears to be shown on the 1940's Map. Did it change it's name or summat?



It must have appeared in countless photos and prints of the good old Bull Ring, many on Lyn and Stitchers' wonderful sites of the Bull Ring and Pubs...?

 

[Phil]

Dennis

According to Kellys 1903 the Comet was at 5 High Street, in the 1937 edition No's 5 & 6 were Woodleys House furnishers. I recently posted a photo of this shop taken before it was bombed out during the war. I have another photo of the Comet taken in 1895, which states that it was a narrow little pub that was only one room wide for its whole length

 

[Dennis Williams]

Superb not seen before pic Phil. Stolen it already. These show the entrance to Swan Passage, next one up from Phillips Street on right of shot in the first one, and maybe the Comet in the grand view...

 

[mikejee]

In the late 1880s the Comet seems to have had a revoving series of landlords. This may have been because of the customers, but possibly because of the quality of the landlords such as Josiah Clarke in 1886. He had only been in the pub a few months, as an earlier landlord had taken over in October 1885. Not surprisingly, six weeks after this incident a new landlord took over the licence. One wonders whether the two Clarkes were related (ex wife possibly) and, if this was a warm dispute, what a hot one would entail

 

[Astoness]

great idea for a new thread dennis...love the pics and newspaper snippets mike...the comet is a new one to me..nice one phil

lyn

 

[Jayell]

Love the information on this thread. It's fascinating.

Judy

 

[Phil]

Dennis

As we know your number 3 public house in Phillips Street down the side of the old market hall is The Bell Inn, it was another one of those pubs closed in 1958 for trading out of hours. I wonder if the Bell & Stevens Bar were raided on the same evening as they were so close to each other.

 

[Dennis Williams]

Thanks Phil for the shot of No 3, THE BELL INN, Phillips Street.

The Bell Inn's most famous regular was William Hutton, the first real Birmingham Historian, who lived at Garland House (where Waterstone’s Bookshop - ex Times Furnishing - is now at 26 High Street).

The Bell Inn was built originally in the early 1700s, later bought by Jacob Wilson the Town Crier. He bought it off Charles Freeth, Poet Freeth's father. In 1894 it was altered to it's last appearance, as in Phil's photo, and it was closed in 1958. I include another of Phil's photos of the death throws of Phillips Street, before the bulldozers moved in...and another stating the origins of Phillips Street.

 

[Dennis Williams]

Is it just me that cannot see the attatchments on Dennis's post 14. It comes up as invalid.

No, it's not you Mike. I re-posted them in the next post, as I had the devil's own job to get them all to appear at first attempt...I have to resize them all for some reason before they show. Then I can't edit out the invalid attachments message...Very frustrating. However, now I'm here again, I will post these other bits and pieces I found in Joe McKenna's great book CENTRAL BIRMINGHAM PUBS, that I plunder remorselessly. More great info on THE SWAN HOTEL. The 'Stagecoach' Poster is a hoary old chestnut, but relevant here...there is a little more on the Dickens' Jarndyce and Jarndyce link in my old 'Jennens Family' thread, if it's still there...

 

[Phil]

Dennis

The thing is, if you have posted them before anywhere on the forum, even if it was before the hack and they do not appear any more. The forum software will recognise the fact and won't allow you to repost them in the format, as I said previously you have to change the image a little in size.

 

[Dennis Williams]

So we come to No 4 on the list, on the corner of Phillips Street, on the corner of the Market Hall in High Street.

4 BOARD INN, Phillips Street / High Street

Formerly known as the Board Vaults. Up until the First World War it had an early morning licence, and opened at 6.00am for the thirsty barrow boys. Being near the Fish Market it was affectionately known as the COD’S HEAD. During the 1880’s it was also known as FOX’S , taking its name from a popular licencee of the time. The photo below shows his name on the building next to the Bull Ring (High St) entrance to the Market Hall. The pub was taken over by Atkinsons Brewery at the end of the Century, whence it seems to have changed its name to the BOARD INN. Just before the end of the First World War, its licensee was one Anthony Diamond, the Amateur Heavyweight Boxing Champion of England, needlees to say that trouble was not much in evidence when he was behind the Bar. Incidentally, he later became the landlord of The Great Western in Acocks Green, next to the Station.

 

[Dennis Williams]

5 THE WOOLPACK HOTEL, 8-9 Moor Street

As Eliezer Edwards said in his book ‘The Old Taverns of Birmingham’: “No single spot in all Birmingham can vie with this old house and its immediate neighbours, for interesting and important traditions, or is comparable to it for richness, age, or variety of its associations. Incidents that took place on this spot more than five hundred years ago are still on record, and this 'title’ to a portion of the premises can be traced in unbroken sequence from the year 1340. “

It was built on land originally called Green-tree Yard in Molle Streete, so named from the even more ancient Green Tree Tavern, which stood there before. Rumour also has it that part of the neighbouring Fleur De Lys, a 16[SUP]th[/SUP] century tavern still extant in the late 1700s, was also incorporated when this was demolished for the building of The Public Office next door in 1795.

The land was owned by William Lench, of Lench’s Trust fame. At what stage the 'Wolle Packe' became a Tavern is unclear from the records, but the first recorded landlord was a John Ensor, followed by members of The Eades' families. And it soon became a resort of lawyers, physicians and other educated people or “better class of persons” as Edwards calls them. Dr Samuel Johnson was certainly a regular, as was the “dapper John Baskerville”. Being next to the Public office in Moor St, it is easy to see the obvious lure to Lawyers and Politicians of the day, as well as a few stray scoundrels from the Courts I would imagine. Sir Rowland Hill, of Penny Black fame, established the Society for Literary Improvement there. On a more sporting note, it was also long associated with the “Gentlemen” cricketing players of the day, being a famous haunt of Alfred Mynn and his brother Walter. Artists of the day were represented by the Pettits, notably Afred Pettit.

The chapter of Edwards’ Book starts and ends with the justification for the eulogy of this great Tavern, being that in 1895, the Town Planners of the day had just proposed to lop off fifteen feet or more from the front of the Tavern to widen the Road; and he finishes with the lament reproduced below…some things never change..

The only photos we have is of the W.H.Ward rebuilt version, which was finally demolished in 1958, when it suffered the ultimate fate by the hands of the Inner Ring Road developers.

 

[Phil]

Dennis

Once again very interesting, all I can add is this earlier photo of the Board Inn I was a little too young to ever have used it, that was my loss I suppose.

 

[Dennis Williams]

Finally for the day, No 6 is the nearby TAMWORTH ARMS, 5 Moor Street

Built in 1822, with a James Smith as its first landlord, it was designed by William Jenkins in 1890. It narrowly survived the Blitz in 1941, only to be demolished for the Moor Street Queensway alterations; whence it was replaced by the Outriggeer…a nautically themed pub even I remember having a few in…until that begat the Ship Ashore…and then oblivion…


View attachment 80930View attachment 80931View attachment 80932

....and so the first six have been named...and I'll move over now if Phil wants to take over for a few?

1 SWAN HOTEL, Swan Passage
2 THE COMET, High Street
3 THE BELL INN, 7 Phillips Street
4 THE BOARD INN, Phillips Street / High Street
5 THE WOOLPACK HOTEL, 8-9 Moor Street
6 THE TAMWORTH ARMS, 5 Moor Street

 

[Dennis Williams]

OK. I'll soldier on for a wee while...

No 7 is the PHOENIX HOTEL, 3 Park Street

Original built 1720, and famous for it’s part in the Irish riots in 1867. Rebuilt some time later, but closed 1965.

 

[Dennis Williams]

And No 8 the RED LION, Bull Ring.

In the list of addresses from Price's Book, it is interesting to me, as a time served Old Yardleyan, that the WIMBUSH name was just along the High Street from the Red Lion. As it panned out, his old House in Barrows Lane was turned into a Pub, The St Bernard's Grange...still going today....one of the very few...

 

[Dennis Williams]

Ok, so this is not a brilliant idea. So, here are the rest of the names for completeness.

9 ROYAL GEORGE, 143 Digbeth / Park Street
10 CASTLE AND FALCON, Meriden Street / Digbeth
11 TALBOT, Moat Lane
12 ST MARTINS HOTEL, St Martins Lane
13 WAGON & HORSES and/or CROWN, Edgbaston Street
14 BOARD VAULTS, 53 Worcester Street / Bell Street
15 GRAND TURK / LEICESTER ARMS / COACH AND HORSES, Bell Street / Lease Lane
16 SYDENHAM HOTEL (CRITERION), Edgbaston Street / Pershore Street
17 DROVERS ARMS, Smithfield Street / Bradford Street
18 BIRMINGHAM ARMS, 1 Moat Row / Sherlock Street East
19 CRITERION (BROOK VAULTS), Jamaica Row
20 HOP POLE, Upper Dean Street / Pershore Street
21 BLACK SWAN INN, Bromsgrove Street / Market Street
22 NEW INN, 191-194 Bromsgrove Street
23 SMITHFIELD ARMS, Jamaica Row
24 CROSS KEYS, 91 Jamaica Row / Sherlock Street

 

[Phil]

Dennis

The thing is I don't think all of our members are ex alcoholics like myself (they will never know what they have missed). Your number 9 The Royal George one of the pubs I have been known to frequent on the odd occasion. I don't know too much about the pub except that I believe it was built on the site of the London Museum which later became the Bull Ring Cinema, in my day as a youngster it was an amusement arcade. I believe that both buildings are still standing today, although both closed. Here is an early Royal George and the one that replaced it.

 

[mikejee]

Tthe front of Brooks Vaults and what was Smithfield arms (by then a fruit & veg warehouse) can be seen at post 1 at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=23229 . while the back of Brooks Vaults can be seen in post 718 at https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=33053&page=48

 

[mikejee]

The black Swan is on the picture i took below around 1970

 

[Dennis Williams]

Fabulous mike. Thanks for enlivening my day! The only thing I had on the Black Swan was this from McKenna...and the Brook Vaults from 'Time Please'.

 

[Phil]

Another photo of Brooks Vaults in Jamaica Row, plus another one that also shows Both Brooks Vaults and No 23 on your list the Smithfield Arms. Finally one more photo that shoes the Smithfield on its own.

 

[Phil]

Dennis

While we are in Jamaica Row, we might as well have this photo of the Cross Keys which stood at the junction of Sherlock St.

 

[Phil]

Dennis

Your No 11 pub The Talbot Moat Lane, I could have cheated and put up a photo of the Bull Ring Tavern which was originally built to replace the Talbot and was indeed called the Talbot for the first few years of it's life, when it first opened it was quite posh and they did a lunch time buffet in the upstairs lounge. Where I occasionally took a few young ladies in their lunch hour.