Pubs Of The Past

[Carol Smith-Tavinor]

The Saddlers Arms used to be almost on the corner of Franchise Street but it was knocked down and cleared away to make room for the Birchfield Road Underpass.
This picture is the Saddlers Arms on Aldridge Road Perry Barr where it was rebuilt. The photo is from 1959.
stitcher

Hi Stitcher, I know it was forever ago that this came up but I have just got some newspaper cuttings about my Great Grandmother Emma E Williams whose father had The Boar's Head in Perry Barr and she went on to own/license The Parson & Clark and then back to The Boar's Head with her second husband John Foden. In the cuttings of 27th April 1895 it quotes Eliza Williams as being the Landlady of The Saddler's Arms, Aldridge Road, Perry Barr. This is the first time I have seen it mentioned and looked for old photos but can only come up with the 1950+ version in one of the forums. At the time it was said in the forum that this was a picture of the replacement pub and that "the other picture" was of The Saddlers Arms before.....am I going mad or is there another picture of the pub before, do you know? If so please can you point me towards it as my book on my GreatGran needs to be finished and she keeps coming up with surprises that keep me looking! Any help much appreciated, Thanks, Carol

 

[Morturn]

Hi Stitcher, I know it was forever ago that this came up but I have just got some newspaper cuttings about my Great Grandmother Emma E Williams whose father had The Boar's Head in Perry Barr and she went on to own/license The Parson & Clark and then back to The Boar's Head with her second husband John Foden. In the cuttings of 27th April 1895 it quotes Eliza Williams as being the Landlady of The Saddler's Arms, Aldridge Road, Perry Barr. This is the first time I have seen it mentioned and looked for old photos but can only come up with the 1950+ version in one of the forums. At the time it was said in the forum that this was a picture of the replacement pub and that "the other picture" was of The Saddlers Arms before.....am I going mad or is there another picture of the pub before, do you know? If so please can you point me towards it as my book on my GreatGran needs to be finished and she keeps coming up with surprises that keep me looking! Any help much appreciated, Thanks, Carol

Hi Carol

Stitcher is no longer a member of this forum, so a reply will not be possible.

 

[Tony B]

Very interesting thread on Burlington hall.... My memory of the building is vague, as I was only 8 or 9.. and living in Cowper street...
But later in my early twenties I was appointed caretaker of newtown community centre opposite the Barton arms by this time the hall had been demolished. How ever one of the groups using the centre was the ' Sons of Rest ... ' A very interesting elderly group especially after a few half's of beer .. They told me that the snooker table in the billiard room was taken out of Burlington Hall plus the brass slide scorers..
They taught me how to play three ball billiards, a very rare game nowadays... Also snooker.... These old boys was well into their seventies and always wore a shirt and tie and brylcreem !
It was a pleasure listening to their banter and not a swear word ...
I wonder if the table is still there ?
That could tell you some stories....

 

[Astoness]

hi tony what lovely memories...thanks for sharing them...as for the billiard table still being around i have my doubts but it would be nice to try and find out..i have an idea that the community hall no longer exists and the swimming baths closed some time ago when i have time i will try and find out about the table

lyn

 

[Rossbret 007]

In the past two days I have discovered my great grandfather was landlord of the Old Sun Inn, Coleshill Street, Sutton Coldfield, before moving the The British Oak pub in Highgate. His father, my great great grandfather was landlord of the Duke Inn, Duke Street, Sutton Coldfield, which has remained much as it was in his time.

What was your Gt Grandfather name? Landlord of the Old Sun. I am researching its history

 

[Oldun]

The Grand Turk

 

[NoddKD]

Does anyone remember the Pot o' Beer down by Aston Uni. Spent a few nights in there before going further into town.

Sure do. In my very limited time as a trainee electrician I helped install the electrics and lighting. Also saw all the victorian objects installed. If I remember correctly there was free or very cheap beer available for anyone working there. I was forbidden by my boss to partake as I was only 16.
Visited a couple of times when I got older,16½.

Nodd K-D

 

[OuterCircleBus]

I'm researching the history of Hurst Street at the moment and needless to say the pubs need special attention! Does anyone have any photographs, other information or memories regarding the Hurst Street pubs? Here is a list of the pubs that I know of - left & right assumes travelling south from Smallbrook Street/Queensway.

Left (East) Side
Cross Keys
Fox
Vine
Unicorn
Australian/Missing
Roebuck/Village

Right (West) Side
Empire/Crystal Palace
Old Rodney
Dog Inn
Criterion/Compass
Black Lion/Anchor
Gooch Arms
Forester’s Arms

 

[Oldun]

Joseph McKenna.Central Birmingham Pubs Volume 2,will help.

 

[Oldun]

The Board Vaults,Worcester street,corner Bell street.

 

[Oldun]

I'm researching the history of Hurst Street at the moment and needless to say the pubs need special attention! Does anyone have any photographs, other information or memories regarding the Hurst Street pubs? Here is a list of the pubs that I know of - left & right assumes travelling south from Smallbrook Street/Queensway.

Left (East) Side
Cross Keys
Fox
Vine
Unicorn
Australian/Missing
Roebuck/Village

Right (West) Side
Empire/Crystal Palace
Old Rodney
Dog Inn
Criterion/Compass
Black Lion/Anchor
Gooch Arms
Forester’s Arms

Joseph McKenna,Central Birmingham Pubs,Volume 2,will help.

 

[Oldun]

With Board Vaults above.

 

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

I'm researching the history of Hurst Street at the moment and needless to say the pubs need special attention! Does anyone have any photographs, other information or memories regarding the Hurst Street pubs? Here is a list of the pubs that I know of - left & right assumes travelling south from Smallbrook Street/Queensway.

Left (East) Side
Cross Keys
Fox
Vine
Unicorn
Australian/Missing
Roebuck/Village

Right (West) Side
Empire/Crystal Palace
Old Rodney
Dog Inn
Criterion/Compass
Black Lion/Anchor
Gooch Arms
Forester’s Arms

 

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

I have done some work on all of these pubs. I must have got side-tracked [again] as I only have the early years of the Fox on my site. Must try to put them all on soon : https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/birmingham/hurst-street/fox-inn.htm

 

[I Am Nico]

On looking at this fascinating site and seeing some little realistic cardboad/paper houses in a gift shop, a cleaver person could recreate Birmingham's or anywhere's old pubs. Or a street or a disrtict. I am sure it was like Coventry where there was a pub on every corner and several on one street. Or maybe somebody already has.?

 

[I Am Nico]

I wonder what the oldest pub in Brum is?
I always thought the Golden Cross was the oldest here, in Coventry, then they came up with another which seems to have gone again.
My mate's late dad took me to the oldest pub he said, in Dublin, The Brazen Head.

 

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

I wonder what the oldest pub in Brum is?
I always thought the Golden Cross was the oldest here, in Coventry, then they came up with another which seems to have gone again.
My mate's late dad took me to the oldest pub he said, in Dublin, The Brazen Head.

Well, it is not the Old Crown at Deritend. The building may be old but not as a licensed tavern. If we are talking about a pub still trading then it has to be one of the building's left alone whilst many were being rebuilt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Something like : https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/birmingham/bordesley-street/spotted-dog.htm but, not having looked into all the old pubs, I am not sure which is the oldest.

 

[trevor bow]

Well, it is not the Old Crown at Deritend. The building may be old but not as a licensed tavern. If we are talking about a pub still trading then it has to be one of the building's left alone whilst many were being rebuilt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Something like : https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/birmingham/bordesley-street/spotted-dog.htm but, not having looked into all the old pubs, I am not sure which is the oldest.

It could be The Great Stone Inn at Northfield by the medieval church of St Lawrence. It was originally a coaching inn so no doubt that would have provided food, overnight accommodation, and of course alcoholic beverages.

 

[Taxi Tom]

Well, it is not the Old Crown at Deritend. The building may be old but not as a licensed tavern. If we are talking about a pub still trading then it has to be one of the building's left alone whilst many were being rebuilt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Something like : https://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/birmingham/bordesley-street/spotted-dog.htm but, not having looked into all the old pubs, I am not sure which is the oldest.

The oldest pub in Birmingham is The Green Man or Lad in the Lane....same pub in Erdington Tom

 

[www.midlandspubs.co.uk]

Oh, I must have misread the question as we are straying outside of old Birmingham and into the 'hinterlands'. Like the Old Crown, the Green Man was not always a pub, though it was licensed by 1802, perhaps earlier? Regarding the Great Stone Inn, one should use 'formerly' rather than 'originally' as the building pre-dates coaching days. I am not sure when the medieval 'hall' house became a tavern, though I have doubts that it was ever a coaching inn. All good speculative fun however

 

[Ken1947]

The good old days when there was a pub on every corner. If you asked somebody for directions it would go something like this, Turn left at The Red loin keep going the turn left at The Black Swan etc. They could guide you all the way across Brum just using the pubs.

 

[Eric Gibson]

One of our young ladies had fun with an American visitor telling him a tale of a police chase.
"they chased him past the King's Head, the Red Lion, the Farmer's boy and caught him by the Cock."

 

[I Am Nico]

The good old days when there was a pub on every corner. If you asked somebody for directions it would go something like this, Turn left at The Red loin keep going the turn left at The Black Swan etc. They could guide you all the way across Brum just using the pubs.

And they called out the pub names for the bus stop . In Coventry a building that had a modern front was stripped back to the original beams, in Jordan Well, and suddenly it became the oldest pub, and now it doesn't seem to be a pub again. I was told my house used to be a beer house. But that was only built in 1906.

 

[trevor bow]

It could be The Great Stone Inn at Northfield by the medieval church of St Lawrence. It was originally a coaching inn so no doubt that would have provided food, overnight accommodation, and of course alcoholic beverages.

Oh, I must have misread the question as we are straying outside of old Birmingham and into the 'hinterlands'. Like the Old Crown, the Green Man was not always a pub, though it was licensed by 1802, perhaps earlier? Regarding the Great Stone Inn, one should use 'formerly' rather than 'originally' as the building pre-dates coaching days. I am not sure when the medieval 'hall' house became a tavern, though I have doubts that it was ever a coaching inn. All good speculative fun however

'Originally' is the word one uses when referring to it's use as a pub only. One will just have to agree to disagree, won't one ? (There is evidence that it was a coaching inn.)

 

[I Am Nico]

The one appearing and disappearing in Coventry I am told was an ancient ale house, in it's day, (my dad would have known,) then it must have been a retail outlet for years, someone discovers that it was originally a pub, and it becomes a pub again, and know it's not, again. Bizarre. When is a pub not a pub?

 

[trevor bow]

The one appearing and disappearing in Coventry I am told was an ancient ale house, in it's day, (my dad would have known,) then it must have been a retail outlet for years, someone discovers that it was originally a pub, and it becomes a pub again, and know it's not, again. Bizarre. When is a pub not a pub?

When the door's a jar - lol.

 

[I Am Nico]

The Old Windmill, Spon End Coventry (Ma Brown's) at 1451 and The Golden Cross, 1854. So Ma Brown's here. I can't find the name of the, there it is now it's gone pub I will keep trying.

 

[Jollyjack]

Here's one that I have no knowledge of and can't claim to have ever used. Anybody remember it, I have no doubt that it is well gone now. Scotch house on the corner of Aston High Street and Whitehead Rd.

I think Arthur and Doreen Burley ran this pub.

 

[Jollyjack]

There is a Vine in the thread (#470) but this one is the Vine Inn, sorry I don't know which street it was in.

Is this Carver Street?

 

[Jollyjack]

The oldest pub in Birmingham is The Green Man or Lad in the Lane....same pub in Erdington Tom

Parts of the building go back to pre 1400