The Old Pubs of Chester 4

St. Anne Street: The Barley Mow Inn (no. 32a, corner of Oulton Place), demolished for the Inner Ring Road. The Alma Inn (illustrated just before demolition below). Here is an extract from an interesting letter from Valerie Sheckler (Valsheck@aol.com) in Florida USA: "I am a former resident of Chester, I left in 1982 to move to the US with hubby. I came upon your site when looking for news on Chester. I was amazed to come across the old photos of Chester expecially Newtown. It was truly a trip down memory lane plus a wonderful history lesson.
You cannot imagine my surprise and pleasure when I saw a picture of the Alma Hotel on St. Anne Street! I lived there until its closure in the early 70's. I remember Newtown so well, such a shame that the whole area was torn apart for a lousy ring road. Many of my friends were forced to move to other areas. We moved to the Waterloo Inn in Boughton (now the Chester Backpacker's Hotel).
I was only a youngster during the ring road construction and was not aware of how residents were informed of the demolition. I do know that the mood was very somber during the last year as families and friends that had grown up together were being spread all around Chester. Many of the residents moved to Francis St. off Egerton St.
My dad had a thriving livelihood in the Alma that was taken from him.He was quite bitter and he never really recovered financially from theloss. We ended up in council housing after living in the Waterloo Innfor a couple of years... If any of your readers remember Newtown in the60's I would like to say hello. I am the eldest daughter of Stan andBetty Kerr (both passed away in recent years)"

St. Martin's Fields: The Painter's Arms, demolished for Inner Ring Road construction.

St. Peter's Churchyard: The Three Crowns. Until very recently, the excellent Commercial Hotelalso traded in this quiet backwater, tucked away behind St. Peter'sChurch in the heart of the city. The popular old pub was built around1808, as part of the same development as the nearby Commercial Newsrooms on Northgate Street, by the noted Chester architect Thomas Harrison. He was also responsible for the Northgate, Grosvenor Bridge, the re-building of Chester Castleand much else in the city but this was his only pub. It was closed downin 2005 and an application was made to tear out its interior inpreparation for its conversion into what many suspected would be somevariety of wine bar. Planning permission was refused, the applicant,Punch Taverns, did a runner and, at the time of writing, the place issitting derelict- having in the meantime suffered a deliberate fire-waiting for new management to take over. A shabby story indeed. TheMarch 1885 edition of the Cheshire Sheaf recorded that the Commercial "was then (around 1817)kept by a Mr and Mrs Lee, afterwards by Mr and Mrs Sandford...Afterwards came numerous unsuccessful tenants; until Mr Charles Davies,of an old Cestrian family, conducted the same during many years withgreat credit to himself and satisfaction to his supporters. The housestill remains in his efficient hands". If only. Those were the days.

The Bars: The Bars Hotel, later Cindarella Rockafella's,with it's 'monk's retreat' and impressive facade- which could easilyhave been preserved- demolished to make way for large housingdevelopment. JD wrote to tell us, "One of the pubs I can vaguelyremember a few years ago was The Schooner Inn which was next door to Cinderella Rockerfellas. If I remember correctly it changed to The Sports Bar which was at its busiest on a Sunday night". Reader Hoolite also recalled, "Oh, yes, I remember Sports Baralright. Lots of neon and chrome in the 'Amercian' tradition, a coupleof pool tables, long bar on the right hand side as you walked in.Guaranteed major ruckus on most nights, being positioned right nextdoor to Cinders, which was the first club I ever went into being about 16- they weren't too choosy".

Tower Wharf: The Ellsmere Canal Tavern, also known as The Canal Packet House.The building, now known as Raymond House, once housed both the officesof the Ellsmere and Chester Canal Company and the Ellsmere Canal Tavern(the tall building in the illustration below). It served passengerswaiting to use the Chester to Liverpool packet boats during the 18thand early 19th centuries. The service was so successful that thelandlord, Captain Thomas Crimes, had to take on a second house, therecently-closed Coach & Horses in Northgate Street(see above). In 1801, the licencee was Samuel Ackerlee, who paid£1,000 per year for the privilege. Part of his advertisment ran, "Hehas fitted up the tavern with good beds, wines, spirituously maltliquors for the entertainment of families, travellers and the public ingeneral whose favours he humbly solicits assuring them it will be hisconstant study to merit their approbation and support".
By the 1850s, the railway had taken the trade away, the tavern closedand the building became the head office of the Shropshire UnionRailways and Canal Company. Today it is the regional HQ of Britishwaterways. Immediately to the right of the old tavern stands what isnow a thriving bar, restaurant and live music venue, Telford's Warehouse. Learn more about this fascinating part of Chester here...

Union Street: The King's Arms stood opposite the end of Love Street. After closing it became the Grosvenor Skating Rink (it would seem to have been extensively enlarged rearwards at this time) and then the Broadway Dancing Academy Ballroom, nicknamed 'The Ack'.It was a favourite haunt of American servicemen stationed aroundChester during WW2. (Their main camps were at Vicar's Cross- the siteof the present rugby club, the house and grounds of Hoole Bank House, now the Hammond School and at Burtonwood Air Base). In the 1950s, it was renamed the Riverpark Ballroom.The Beatles played one of their Chester dates here on 16th August 1962.Their original, but freshly-sacked, drummer Pete Best was supposed toplay his final gig that night, but, not surprisingly, he didn't botherturning up, and had to be hastily replaced with Johnny Hutchinson. (Thefirst Beatles concert with Ringo behind the drum-kit, at Hulme Hall inBirkenhead, took place two nights later).
The Riverpark Ballroom closed the following year and today the site is occupied by a bank's offices.

Walter Street: The New Inn (no. 28), now private housing.

Watergate Street: The Fox and Goose- a note in the Cheshire Sheafin 1915 tells us "that it was situated on the north side of WategateStreet adjoining St. Peter's Church, and is doubtless the house nowknown as the Victoria" (which is still with us today). Before 1670, the licencee was Elizabeth Leighfield and at this date itpassed to a cooper named Hugh Roberts. It was passed on through thisfamily until 1765 when it was acquired by the Stringer Family, whoremained in occupation "for the best part of another hundred years". The Swan- existed in 1766 (Cheshire Sheaf). The Castle & Falcon- mentioned in the Cheshire Sheaf as existing in 1729. The Vaults (no. 16), The Sign of the Golden Anchor-- mentioned in a 1750 edition of the Chester Courant. Resident there, we read, was one Robert Bellin, who "doth undertake to cure scald heads, he having been instructed by his late father, deceased. N.B. No cure no pay". The Star- also mentioned in a 1750 Chester Courant, run by a Mrs Griffiths, still there in 1768. Ye Hand and Snake- recorded in 1723; writing the Cheshire Sheafin July 1915, Mr John Hewitt of Hoole declared- for unstated reasons-that "the Hand and Snake must surely be the premises now known as Leche House in Watergate Street". The Yacht Inn (illustrated below: demolished in 1970s to make way for the Inner Ring Road) Landlord in 1749, Thomas Hart. The Crown Inn (mentioned in the Cheshire Sheaf as existing in 1730), The Moon Tavern (Watergate Row North. Also recalled in the Sheaf as having entertained the choirboys of the cathedral at Christmas in the 1840s. It was run at the time by a Mrs Matthews, "athoughtful, respectable woman, a fine specimen of the realold-fashioned sort of landlady, of whom I suspect there are not manynow to be met with under the shadow of 'mine inn'"). The Turf Inn- actually alive and kicking and renamed as The Watergate Inn. The Wolf's Head- mentioned in a 1749 edition of the Chester Courant. The Red Dog, The Caernarvon Castle (corner of Crooke Street, now a bookmaker's).
Of this latter, reader Nathan Brett wrote to tell us, "Hallo!I was looking through your website of old forgotten pubs in Chesterhoping to discover something of the Carnarvon Castle on Watergate. Ithought that the attached photo may be of interest. It is from a silverplated cigarette holder that belonged to my grandfather Terry Jones whowas one of twin sons to the chap in the photo, the proprietor of TheCarnarvon Castle, Walter Jones (my great grandfather). Terry's twin wascalled Leo and there was also an older son called Walter after hisfather who was a Private in the Cheshire regiment and died in WW1 inBelgium, I believe his name is recorded on a wooden plaque along withthe other fallen soldiers of Chester in City Hall (?). I think the"Prime Old Tenpenny Ale" sounds pretty good... I know very little elseother than the twins did not get on that well and my grandfather lit afire in the Carnarvon Castle under his brother Leo's bed! Happily allconcerned were ok and the pub was saved from an even earlier demise!I've never been to Chester and live near Bath now and if you knowanything more of this pub or its inhabitants or if you have a photopast or present of the building, I would be mostgrateful!"

Westminster Park (Lache Lane): The Westminster Park (formerly The Lache) A planning application by David McLean Homes to build houses on the site of this perfectly good building was refused in November 1998- but then allowed on appeal. The lack of other pubs in the area led to a great deal of public objection, but nevertheless, it was demolished in July 1999 and the houses duly built.

Unknown Locations: the Pig & Tinder Box: to quote the Cheshire Sheafof January 1884, "in an old letter written from Chester Fair in 1780,incidental mention is made by the writer, a Yorkshire dealer, to the Pig & Tinder Box (an inn, I assume) where he was then lodging during the Chester July fair of that year". The Globe- recorded in 1725. The Sun, Moon & Angel, The Dairy Maid, The Brewer's Dray, The Corkcutter's Arms, The Blackamore's Head. This latter was mentioned in the records of a court case in 1640 when depositions were taken here. Its location was not recorded but the tenant at the time was one William Wilbraham.

Vanished Chester Breweries: The Northgate Brewery (also here),Northgate Street, was founded in 1760 at the Golden Falcon Hotel. A newbrewery was built on the site in the 1850s. Registered March 1889.Acquired by Greenall Whitley & Co Ltd in 1949 with about 140 tiedhouses. Brewing ceased in 1969 and it was demolished in 1971. An officeblock, Centurion House now occupies the site. The Lion Brewery,Pepper Street, was founded in 1642. It was registered in May 1896 toacquire the business of Thomas Montgomery with 40 public houses.Acquired by Bent's Brewery Co Ltd in 1902 and brewing ceased. Thebuilding was demolished in 1969 and replaced by a multi-storey carpark. The Chester Civic Trust rescued a large stone lion, the trademarkof the old brewery and re-erected it on top of the car park's tower,where it remains a prominent feature today. Mr Clubbe's Brewery- mentioned in the Cheshire Sheaf as being located "in the vicinity of King's Buildings" (junction of King Street and the present day St. Martin's Way) and existing in 1817. The Abbey Brewhouse produced ale for the monks of Chester Abbey, now the Cathedral,and also probably for sale in the town. It, together with the bakehouseand other industrial buildings, were removed in the 18th century tomake way for for the grand houses in Abbey Square. Edward R. Seller's brewery was in Foregate Street. It was acquired by the Albion Brewery Co Ltd of Wigan c.1890. Robert Cooper Drury, Francis Street (recorded as trading in 1890), John Dutton, Egerton Street (1892), Henry Knight, Park Street (1902), James Parry, Barr's Brewery, Foregate Street (1890).
In 1487, when Chester's authorities summoned everyone engaged in thebrewing industry to have their measures 'sealed'- officially endorsedas being of acceptable standard, 57 brewers- the majority of themfemale- and 101 ale-sellers were recorded in the town.

150 years ago, traveller and writer George Borrow was less-than-impressed with a meal of Cheshire cheese and Chester ale served to him at the Pied Bull in Northgate Street and a century earlier, Jonathan Swift was equally damning about the fare at the Yacht Inn which formerly stood in Watergate Street.

In 1577, the government ordered a count be made ofall inns, taverns etc and a tax imposed on them "towards the cost ofrepairing Dover Harbour". In Cheshire were found 24 inns, 9 taverns and390 "alehouses or tippling houses"- a total of 423.

Aside from public houses actually closing down, there is also the modern practice, sadly currently very popular, of changing their names. In the minds of the smart young men of the brewing industry's PR departments, an often-centuries old name implies a dusty, 'outdated' image- something to be avoided at all costs, especially when they are anxious to encourage the patronage of the free-spending 'alco-pop' generation. Some examples of this are the above-mentioned Bear and Billet, which became Bensons at the Billet, and the Red Lion in Northgate Street, to Scruffy Murphy's. However, by the end of 2001, both of these latter had reverted to their ancient names- as did the Plumber's Arms in Newgate Street, which was for a few years renamed Fagin's until being taken over by Thwaite's.
The Albion, opposite Chester railway station, built in 1860 and renamed a few years ago as The Town Crier, the 200 year-old Axe Tavern in Nicolas Street, for a while known as The Falchion and Firkin but now again re-named Bar Coast and The Saddle Inn in Grosvenor Street, which traded under that name for more than a century before changing to The Chester Bells in 1996. The latest example is the Coach & Horses in Town Hall Square which, after 300 years, closed in July 2006 and is due to reopen in Spring 2007 under the name of The Coach House.

All is not bad news, however, and traditional British boozers- small, comfortable and affordable 'homes-from-home' where we can drink good beer, dress how we like and converse without having to bellow over someone else's bad taste in music- do still exist, even in Chester, albeit in increasingly small numbers. Treasure them!

beer advert The Cheshire branch of CAMRA- the Campaign for Real Ale- now has its own website- go here for news and reviews of pubs and beer throughout the county. JonWainwright wrote to tell us of the Chester & South Clwyd branch ofCAMRA's new website which, he tells us, "is more specific to Chesterthan the Cheshire CAMRA site currently accessible from your pages"...and very interesting and informative it is too. Thanks John. Visit them here.

In addition, the truly excellent Chester@Largeoffers to-the-point reviews of our city's pubs and restaurants, and hasrecently launched an online forum so you can add your two penn'orth.

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