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Yardley Arms, Stechford

Heartland,

When I had the occasional drink in what would have been the early 80's, if you were a beer drinker then it was M & B Mild or Brew XI.


Stechford Yardley Fields Rd The Yardley Arms.jpg
 
The History of the Yardley Arms reproduces the first ordnance survey where the Yardley Arms was opposite to the present now closed public house.

That map, and the second o/s shows a separate group of buildings that by the 3rd o/s had become the Yardley Arms.

As to the previous owner, of the buildings opposite the original Yardley Arms, there is possibility that these were called the Laboratory, the home of Dr Richard Hill Norris a surgeon and professor at Queens College, Birmingham who died in 1916 (at the Bungalow) Yardley Fields Road.

Dr Norris was keen amateur photographer who patented the dry collodian plate process in 1856. For a time in the 1890's was the base for the commercial production of dry plates. His latest improvement of about 1895 proved to be not commercially viable owing to the cost of a type of alcohol required.

Improvements in photography also led to altered methods in the way images were produced from film and transparencies, which another local firm (Criterion) of Northcote Road came to employ from their move to Stechford by 1898.
 
Heartland said:
The History of the Yardley Arms reproduces the first ordnance survey where the Yardley Arms was opposite to the present now closed public house.

That map, and the second o/s shows a separate group of buildings that by the 3rd o/s had become the Yardley Arms.

As to the previous owner, of the buildings opposite the original Yardley Arms, there is possibility that these were called the Laboratory, the home of Dr Richard Hill Norris a surgeon and professor at Queens College, Birmingham who died in 1916 (at the Bungalow) Yardley Fields Road.

Dr Norris was keen amateur photographer who patented the dry collodian plate process in 1856. For a time in the 1890's was the base for the commercial production of dry plates. His latest improvement of about 1895 proved to be not commercially viable owing to the cost of a type of alcohol required.

Improvements in photography also led to altered methods in the way images were produced from film and transparencies, which another local firm (Criterion) of Northcote Road came to employ from their move to Stechford by 1898.
Click to expand...
You seem to be correct I wonder why the hotel was knocked down:

 
The original Yardley Arms has been said in some accounts to be a coaching inn, and perhaps its full history requires scrutiny. There was a picture in an early Photogram, which showed the laboratory and which led me to make an entry in my book Workshop to the World, Sutton Publishing 2006 page 108.

Since that publication i have narrowed to move of the Criterion from Birmingham to 1898.

The Yardley Arms Hotel is mentioned in newspapers until 1915 and there was a bowling green there. After 1915 the public house is referred to as the Yardley Arms, but not a hotel and that would indicate a change of address. The 1915 directory for Birmingham still has Richard Norris at the Laboratory in the street section. This leads to the ordnance survey of 1912 which shows the new location of the Yardley Arms, as the map was published later, did it alter the location in time for publication?
 
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It still seems to advertise as the Yardley Arms Hotel after 1915 although maps do show it on the other side of the road.

Coventry Standard Oct 1919
1699371479636.png

Reference in 1936 to the hotel - evening Despatch
1699371631373.png
 
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It is possible that change from calling it a hotel to just the Arms indicates a change of site, but I do not believe that is certain. I have seen a number of pubs which have changed in this way and not moved.
 
After looking at several trade directories the term Yardley Arms Hotel appears later, which again raises the question when the Arms changed location. Assuming the 1912 ordnance survey is correct that would have been previous to that year. That change might be linked to Mitchells & Butlers

The Laboratory is also mentioned in later trade directories and when the daughter of Richard Norris died in 1945 it was still her home

Then there is the question of where was the Yardley Bowling Club green, It was certainly in Yardley Fields Road post 1930 and they had a local cup the Hemmings Cup for bowls contestors.

The 1911 survey book indicates that the Laboratory was next to the Yardley Arms.31820_01115-00193-1.jpg
 
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