The Old Pubs of Chester 2

Dee Banks: The White House. The White House, and the nearby Red House, both started trading in the mid-19th century and were probably great rivals in trade. The White House was built in 1868 by a Mr Edward Tasker, the first licencee, the same gentleman also built, in 1853, the Bars Hotel, Foregate Street, later known as Tiffany's. In February 1889, Mrs Mary Bulger took over the tenancy of the White House for the princely sum of £250 with a rent of £40 p.a. Reader Mike Lawton wrote to tell us that "my Great Grandparents Alfred and Sarah Jane Brentnall (ne Lloyd) ran the pub in the early 1900s and I had never seen a photo before. They had 7 daughters and one son (also Alfred) and apparently the girls regularly all trouped down to Hever Castle at the invitation of Lord and Lady Aster to dance at the balls. Why I have no idea. Alfred worked as a foreman for the leadworks and was found leaning on a bench outside the White House Pub. They thought he was asleep but he had died!"
In 1942 the licencee was Mrs Annie Harvie. The White House closed for good in 1971 and the site now occupied by a bland block of flats.
Unlike its neighbour, The Red House (8 Dee Banks) is still with us, albeit not as a the traditional pub it recently was but as an 'upmarket' restaurant. The first positive reference to the Red House goes back to the Slaters Directory of 1855. However it is likely that it was a beer-house some five or six years before this. The tithe map of 1846 shows that a Mr John Parry owned a cottage and riverside garden on this site. In 1850, Mrs Mary Parry (his widow?) ran the Dee Banks Summer House, listed as a tavern in 1850, in 1855 comes the first positive reference to the Red House, when a Mr George Fryer, a farmer from Huntington, was the licencee. He also ran, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, a stall in the Market Hall, obviously a versatile gentleman. In the 1891 Returns of Licenced Houses of Cheshire, it is stated the licencee was a Mr Tom Hague, and the owner Mr James Parry of The Bars Hotel, Foregate Street (note the name Parry as owners again). In 1942, one George Cunningham was the licencee. Until the end of 2005, the Red House was a popular and characterful riverside pub- a 'bit rough round the edges' but nontheless with good beer and a beautiful garden with access both by road and by river. In June 2006, the Red House had a huge glass box added to its rear and was transformed into an uber-posh restaurant. Its press release at the time reassured locals that "they would still be welcome to pop in for a pint". This has since proved not to be the case.

"It is disgusting to note the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects and the amount of money that goes out of the country in consequence. Everybody is using coffee. If possible, this must be prevented. My people must drink beer." Frederick the Great

Delamere Street: The Northgate Arms, lying between the shabby mess that is today's Delamere Street and the St. Oswald's Way stretch of the Inner Ring Road, was seen to be closed and boarded up as recently as July 2007. It must have been a well-situated thriving pub once, before the coming of the ring road and the demise of Northgate Railway Station and the Cattle Market. Those days are long gone, alas, and it would frankly have been no surprise if its isolated and unattractive situation hadn't led to its closure sooner. Rumour has it that the pub and its neighbouring buildings are soon to be demolished as part of the redevelopment of the adjoining Delamere Street bus station site.

Duke Street: Bit of a mystery here. Alan Speed of Neston recently wrote to us as follows: " I remember visiting in the mid 1970s a very small pub on the right hand side of Duke Street (as you travel up from Lower Bridge Street), I recall that it had a tiny public bar or snug at the front with wooden 'pew' type seats for which you were served through a hatch in the corridor outside. My only other recollection was that it was run at the time by a very old lady. I doubt that it is still there but I cannot for the life of me remember what it was called, any ideas?"
The puzzle was solved when reader Colin Matthews wrote, "His description is exactly right. It was run by two old ladies who were sisters. Its entrance was just a few yards up Duke Street on the right hand side. This was the side entrance of the pub, its front entrance being on Lower Bridge Street. It was in fact The Cross Keys, but its was very different to the present layout of the pub. The entry to the main bar was on Lower Bridge Street, which led you in to a large dark and dingy room, I seem to remember lashings of black paint. The present internal layout of the pub is totally unrecognisable.
I remember it well. I often went there with fellow art students in the sixties. I was drawn by the sheer quirkiness and oldness of the place and always amused by the way the old ladies grumbled begrudgingly as they served us ‘respectful’ young people, who had just walked into their empty main bar and disturbed their peace. However, they always seemed to have someone in their tiny snug when we went there".

“The sway of alcohol over mankind is unquestionably due to its power to stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature.” William James

Eastgate Street: The Crown & Glove- 18 Eastgate Row, closed c 1920, now Pyke's the Jewellers. The distinctive hanging 'crown & glove' pub sign survives. It was announced in late March 2007 that, in partnership with Chester Civic Trust, the sign was to be restored and an appeal has been made for details of the sign's origins and memories of the old pub. The sign is said to refer to a time when the monarch could be challenged on his accession but may also bear reference to the wooden glove that for centuries was hung upon the corner of the Pentice opposite (and, after, it was demolished, on the corner of St. Peter's Church) to indicate the start of Chester's fairs and markets.
Bollands (actually more of a licenced restaurant), downstairs from which was The Grosvenor Oyster Bar (no. 42, next to Brown's of Chester). Habituee Roland Cutler, who was 23 in 1956 when this photo was taken, reminisced about Bollands in the local press, "We used to go to Bolland’s for a drink, then across to The Boot and then come back to have a meal in the Horseshoe Bar, where you could get fine ham and eggs for five shillings.

It was a monkey run for the men- you found yourself a girl and then went to dance with her in Clemence’s. Anyone who went to the races would go to Bolland’s for oysters beforehand. It was a beautiful bar, and I thought this photo would remind people what it was like. I have heard that the bar is still there intact, but bricked up now."
The barman was Arthur Bancroft who worked there until the bar closed, when he moved to the Quaintways dance hall.
The Beehive. Licencee in 1750 Mr Hankey.
The Rose Tavern- in existence 1750-54 when the landlady was Mrs Matthews.
The Phoenix- Landlord 1750-54 Mr Golding.
The White Horse - recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809
The Unicorn- licencee 1750 Mr Pemberton.
The King's Arms Kitchen- Landlady in 1898: Mrs Ellen Jones. During WW2, Jack Morris. Be sure to read our special feature about this unique establishment here.
The Chequers- landlord in 1782, John Cooper.
Huxley's Vaults (south side of the Eastgate, within the walls. Popularly known as Dirty Dick's or Filthy Richard's- take your pick, it was partly built into the city walls, along with Newn's Hairdressers. It only had a six-day licence and was closed on Sundays. The Leeds Building Society, and later the Halifax, took over the premises and later it was a moble phone shop but today it is occupied by Milton's jewellers and pawnbrokers. A photograph of it is here). In the mid-18th century.
The White Talbot and The Golden Talbot were situated next to each other "near the Eastgate" and were so called after the rerspective badges and supporters of the Talbot and Grosvenor families. The White Talbot seems to have eventually been incorporated within the Golden, which was advertised in the long-defunct Adam's Weekly Courant of 17th September 1751 as "that ancient and well-accustomed inn which is now fitted up in the neatest manner and held by Thomas Hickman (late agent to the Hon. Colonel Lee deceas'd) where all gentlemen, ladies and others who shall be pleased to make use of the said house may depend on the best accomodations and most civil usage". The site was later occupied by the Royal Hotel which in turn gave way to today's Grosvenor Hotel.
(There was also a Talbot Hotel in nearby Newgate Street- see below).
The Mitre Tavern on the corner of Eastgate Street and St. Werburge Lane (now St. Werburgh Street) is mentioned in a will of 1649. A later will of 1679 mentions the same house but refers to it as "being commonly now referred to as The Black Dragon" but a trades list of 1750-54, when the landlord was Mr Maddock, refers to it as still being called The Mitre. Its site has been occupied since Victorian times by a grand Neo-Classical bank building, the construction of which caused some unhappiness because it destroyed a section of the ancient Row.
In December 1812, Chester's people flocked to the Mitre to see "the most wonderful curiousity the world ever produced" in the form of one Miss Sarah Beffin, who, despite entirely lacking arms, "can cut and make any part of her own clothes, sews extremely neatly and in a wonderful manner, writes well, draws landscapes, paints miniatures and many more wonderful things, all of which she performs principally with her mouth". Sarah is buried in St. James' Cemetery beneath Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

"May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead." Old Irish Toast

Egerton Street: The Prince Alfred Inn (corner of Albert Street), now a private house.
The Union Vaults (no. 44).
The Angel Hotel (corner of Brook Street) site now occupied by the Chester Lodge Residentual Home.
The Egerton Arms (no. 2).
The Iron Bridge Inn (no. 57, see Jacqueline Naylor's interesting letter above). In January 07, Michelle Day wrote to us, "Hi there from Western Australia. I was doing some family research and came across some information on the Iron Bridge Inn, Egerton Street. My GG Grandparents were the inn keepers there in 1870, George & Martha Pringle, their son Charles William born there Dec 15th, 1869".

Filkin's Lane: The Boughton Hall. Proprietor in 1942, W E Evans. Anybody know more about this?

"Give me a woman who loves beer and I will conquer the world". Kaiser Wilhelm

Foregate Street: The Old Stag's Head Inn (nos. 47 and 49). Landlord in 1942, J B Brennan.
The Elephant & Castle- the west side of St. John's Lane, as modern St. John Street was once called, formed part of the possessions of the Fraternity of St. Anne, whose house stood in St. John's churchyard. On this land, "close to the Eastgate" stood, at least as late as 1650, an inn called Ye Maydenhead. This seems to have given way to a hostelry on the same site by the name of The Elephant & Castle (not to be confused with one of the same name in Northgate Street) which was equipped with its own cockpit and is mentioned in the trade directory for 1782. Its last landlord was William Hancock. Around 1793, Messrs Williams & Co, bankers, acquired the site and demolished all the buildings between the Eastgate and St. John Street including the old inn. A wide strip of land was presented to the corporation for the road widening and they built their new bank on the remainder- remembered today by Old Bank Buildings.
The Ship - recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809
The Dolphin & Anchor - also recorded in a list of polling stations in 1809
The Black Lion - also recorded in the above list.
The Black Bear Inn- mentioned in a 1749 edition of the Chester Courant.
The Red Lion was owned by Alderman and Justice of the Peace Charles Walley who was the Royalist Mayor of Chester at the time of its surrender to Parliamentary forces at the end of the great seige in 1646.
The Black Greyhound Inn- recorded in a will of 1656 as existing on the south side of Foregate Street.
The Brewers Arms (no 61) Landlord in 1898: John Culshaw.
The Shakespeare (no. 92- now the Asia Tandoori) Landlord in 1898: Patrick Perkins.
The Three Black Birds- existing in 1777.
The Roe Buck - recorded in a list of polling stations in 1809
The Bars Hotel (no. 48). Landlord in 1898: Ben Pearson, in 1942 E W Pritchard. Later became Cindarella Rockafella's, with it's 'monk's retreat' and impressive facade- which could easily have been preserved but was demolished to make way for even more yuppy apartments. Reader JD wrote to tell us, "One of the pubs I can vaguely remember 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 The Sports Bar alright. Lots of neon and chrome in the 'Amercian' tradition, a couple of pool tables, long bar on the right hand side as you walked in. Guaranteed major ruckus on most nights, being positioned right next door to Cinders, which was the first club I ever went into being about 16- they weren't too choosy".
The White Lion Hotel (no. 79) The inn may have been in existence before 1782, possibly under a different name, but it was first recorded as The White Lion when a brewer and churchwarden of St. John's, John Peers, took it on in that year. The landlord between 1846 and 1860 was Samuel Lloyd, in 1873, George Smith and the landlady in 1898 was Mrs Mary Jane Nicolson. The licencee in 1902 was Thomas Reynolds. It was rcorded as being used as a polling station in 1809.
The Bear's Paw (illustrated below; no. 21, corner of Frodsham Street. Landlord in 1898: Fred Jones. An ancient pub demolished to make way for a utilitarian building currently housing a jeweller's shop. According to the staff who work there today, it has managed to retain its ghost, 'George', however).

“Of course one should not drink much, but often.” Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

The Green Dragon ("commercial & family inn", nos. 59 & 61, Illustrated left). Licencee in 1750-54 Mrs Hall, in 1851 D McGregor. Known, due to its popularity with US servicemen during WW2, as The American Embassy. The Greenald's Brewery logo, the date- 1920- and two dragons carved in stone still exist on the frontage. If you stand on the corner of Love Street and look up, the pub's name can still be seen painted on the gable end of the roof. Electrical retailers Curry's took over the building for a few years but a branch of Abbey National Building Society occupies it today. Prior to the Green Dragon, an ancient hostelry by the name of The Brewer's Arms occupied the same site.
The Swan, known as Eddie Davies'- "The hotel with the famous film performing parrots". Also a regular favourite with American servicemen. One John Deane, prebendary of Lincoln and rector of St. Bartholemew the Great in Smithfield, London, in need of investment properties to help fund a school he was founding in his birthplace, Northwich, purchased an inn in Foregate Street by the name of The Swan in 1557. The inn and surrounding land had formed part of the dissolved estates of The Fraternity of St. Anne's, a little-known religious foundation that formerly existed in the vicinity of St. John's Church. The inn was later recorded as existing in 1615. Most of the buildings in the street were burned to the ground during the Seige of Chester in 1645-6 and the later Swan rose upon the site of its destroyed earlier namesake. Its licencee was Thomas Bulkeley who died in 1783 "after many years being master of the house". The landlord in 1850 was Evan Roberts, in 1860, Robert Rider and in 1873, John W. Massey, when the place was described in the trade directory as a 'Spirit Vaults'. Its site- and that of the Classic cinema- are now occupied by a branch of Woolworth's. See a photograph of them just before demolition in our 'History of Chester Cinema' here).
Across the road, a large inn, The Saracen's Head was purchased by John Deane at the same time as the old Swan. Severely damaged during the Civil War, its remains served as a common ale-house until, by 1725, being used as a private house. It was demolished and the site redeveloped three years later. The inn was located in, and gave its name to, a vanished Row, the Saracen's Head Row, which now forms numbers 41-45 Foregate Street. It was first mentioned in a legal document in 1591 when "a jury present le foule way in le Rowe ad Sarasen's Head".
The Horse & Groom- mentioned in the Cheshire Sheaf as existing in 1736.
The Drum Major- recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809
The Royal Oak (no. 44, licencee in 1942 Jas. Eugene Kimpton). On the same site formerly stood an inn by the name of The Sign of the Crow which was first mentioned in documents in 1580 when the landlord was William Cotgrave- who was also a fishmonger. A carved date, 1607, appeared on the front of the second building and its name had changed to The Royal Oak by 1703. The entire inn was once again rebuilt in 1920. It is now a branch of Dixon's, but retains the old pub name and carved oak tree on its frontage. You can see a picture of it on the next page. Chester historian Frank Simpson wrote in 1926 that at one time there were no less that five public houses adjoining each other on this spot.
The Golden Lion Hotel: Landlady in 1898: Miss Ellen Watkins. 240 years earlier, in 1658, the will of Thomas Heath stated, "my messuage in Forrest street (former name of Foregate Street) called The Golden Lyon, to my wife for life".
The Hop Pole Hotel (no 13) is first mentioned in 1642 when it was built by Alderman Edwards and called The Globe Tavern. This, however was soon afterwards destroyed during the Civil War seige and rebuilt a decade or so later bearing the same name, which it would retain until 1782 when its name was changed to The Hop Pole, the licencees at the time being John Axon and William Hassall. The landlady between 1850 and 1860 was Elizabeth Bell, in 1873 the landlord was A. C. Lockwood and, in 1898, Thomas Wooliscroft. The first edition of Thomas Hughes' Stranger's Handbook to Chester (1870) refers to the Hop Pole as "a superior traveller's inn". In 1921, shares were offered for a proposed Scala cinema on the site of the inn- which was never built. The licence was withdrawn nontheless and the building became part of the premises of Stead & Simpson.
The City Vaults,
The Exchange Vaults (no. 147) Landlord 1871 (and probably earlier) to his death in 1874, John Dodd, in 1898: John West.
The Wheatsheaf- mentioned in a 1750 Chester Courant.
Thorman's Vaults.
The Grosvenor Park Hotel (no. 153, corner of City Road)- much more about this pub under City Road.
The Ring O' Bells, The Eagle and Child- mentioned in a 1751 Chester Courant as being "on the south side of Foregate Street".
The Old Nag's Head (nos 47 & 49) Landlord in 1898: Charles Cordery. Earlier, in 1877, the Old Nag's Head had been converted by the Duke of Westminster into Chester's first Cocoa House. The following poem, penned by one 'Old Lady of the Parish', commented favourably upon the change:

'Old Nag' thy head for many a year
Brewed mischief with its gin and beer;
Henceforward we prefer thy tail,
In hopes that temperance may prevail.
And there are heads of restless power
Still brewing mischief hour by hour;
What wonder, if a wish prevails
That all such heads were turned to tails.

Originally the brainchild of the Society of Friends- the Quakers- cocoa houses came about due to their concern that Chester's working men were preferring to spend their time and money in warm and cosy pubs and 'gin palaces' rather than staying in with their families in their cold, damp homes- or going to church. Interestingly, prominent among those Quakers were the Cadbury and Fry families- chocolate manufacturers. Seemingly, their interest extended to more than just moral improvement.. Despite energetic support from the Chuch and such worthies as the Grosvenor family, the movement was, unsurprisingly, somewhat of a failure. Quite how long the cocoa craze lasted locally is unsure, but certainly the Nag's had reverted to the sale of stronger drink by 1898 when Mr Cordery became the licencee. In 1919 the Landlord was Mr G. Walker. Today, the building's fine facade thankfully survives, but the old pub itself together with the lane behind it, Crown Court with its cottages and industrial premises, have all vanished beneath the extensive premises of Boots the Chemist.

The splendid- and still thriving- Falcon Inn in Lower Bridge Street once also served as a Grosvenor-sponsored cocoa house. Chester's only surviving cocoa house sign- and a very fine one it is- is to be seen on the facade of what is now the Donato & Sandro Italian Restaurant in Brook Street.
Across the road from the Old Nag's Head, in 1812 the grocer's shop of Mr Joseph Bellis was sold and became an inn by the name of The Little Nag's Head which existed until at least 1877.

"He was a wise man who invented beer." Plato

Frodsham Street: Yates's in Frodsham Street closed its doors for the last time in March 2008. Owners Laurel Group announced in the local press a "national closure programme"- 90 "wet led" outlets (what an ugly phrase!) closing as a result of "the smoking ban and poor trading conditions". There was a time, not so long ago, when Yates's Wine Lodges were fine Dickensian establishments of wooden floors and barrels, full of Breugelesque characters. The drink they sold, notably the 'Large White' ("as good as can be") was a lethal sweet white Aussie wine served in a half pint beer glass, quite unsuitable for almost anybody but hardened drinkers. We quite liked it. The attempt to suddenly transform this sort of establishment into 'kiddie pubs' never really worked. To quote the excellent Chester@Large website, "Once an honourable institution that performed the well-intentioned function of serving inexpensive, but decent quality wine to those who would otherwise have fetched up drinking unspeakable rotgut, it ended up going full circle serving cheap rotgut to an unspeakable clientele".
The White Lion.
The Red Lion.
The Shrewsbury Arms (see below).
The Raglan.
The Plough- recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809
The Lord Nelson - recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809
The Three Tuns.
The Raven- a small seventeenth century inn that disappeared when the entire west side of the street was demolished for road widening between 1904 and 1912. Licencees, 1783-4 Thomas Fairclough, 1840 John Radcliffe, 1846 Mary Radcliffe, 1860 Joseph Mason, 1874 Frederick Green, 1904 Samuel H Jennings. Used as a polling station in 1809.
The Butcher's Arms - also appeared in the list of polling stations in 1809.
Horton's Vaults (corner of Kaleyards, later Dutton's art supplies, now Great Outdoors camping shop- although we hear this is now up for sale).
Ye Olde Bear's Paw (no. 21, corner of Foregate Street.) Illustrated here, just before its demolition in 1956. The site may now be occupied by a utilitarian structure housing Samuel's the Jewellers- but it still has a reputation for being haunted. This is the junction of two major Roman roads- Watling Street, running all the way to Dover and Frodsham Street formed the start of the road to Warrington and beyond, via Gorse Stacks, Brook Street, and the Newton Hollows (which Lucian the Monk called the 'Valley of Demons') in Hoole.
With the notable exception of the (for the moment) unchanging 18th-century Oddfellow's Arms at the far end, Frodsham Street has, sadly, become of recent times the domain of 'kiddy pubs' with unpleasant-looking bouncers at their doors.

"Keep your libraries, your penal institutions, your insane-asylums... give me beer. You think man needs rule, he needs beer. The world does not need morals, it needs beer...The souls of men have been fed with indigestibles, but the soul could make use of beer." Henry Miller

With reference to The Shrewsbury Arms, reader Paul Parry recently wrote, "I am in need of a little more pub information. A certain Mary Fildes, the famous orator and Chartist injured at the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester (16th August, 1819), and also grandmother of Sir Luke Fildes the Victorian portrait painter, apparently ran two taverns in Chester during the mid 1800s. One being the Shrewsbury Arms in Frodsham Street, but this has since disappeared or has been renamed. The other tavern... I have no idea at all. I would like to know, if possible, where the Shrewsbury Arms was situated in Frodsham Street. The period she ran the taverns and if possible the name of the other tavern also". Any ideas, dear readers? Click on Paul's name to email him directly- and we'd like to know more too.

"A good pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there's more conversation". William Blake

Francis Street: The Peacock Inn (no. 135)

George Street: The Shepherd's Arms (no. 87).
The Market Tavern (no. 67, corner of Northgate Street) For long after a furniture shop, now an employment agency. In 1942, the licencee was Robert Stoddard McLarty. In February 2008, Helen Sawyer wrote to tell us, "I loved the site listing the old pubs of Chester. I am currently researching my family tree and my great grandfather ran the Market Tavern in Chester with his wife Alice. Are you able to tell me where you found your information from, as I'd like to know which other pubs he ran in the area (I believe he also ran the Horse & Jockey in Ellesmere Port prior to this one), and when he left the Market Tavern. I understand that he was kicked out of the pub in the 1950s after some money was stolen from the till, but it would be good to tie this up a little more factually'.
The Royal George. No. 31, landlord in 1942, George Catherall. The pub is illustrated on our next page. Its site is now a car park opposite the recently-demolished Delamere Street bus station. Another view of it may be seen along with some others of old George Street here).
In 1840, there was a pub with the curious name of The Sign of the Board in Wellington Street, off George Street.

Gloverstone: The Chester Courant in July 1752 advertised a house and shop to let in Gloverstone: "Any persons who are not free of the City of Chester cannot be hindered from following their trade in the said place as it is in the county. Apply to Elizabeth Brereton at the Royal Oak Inn at Gloverstone". This area was situated outside the gates of Chester Castle.

Woody: "How would a beer feel, Mr. Peterson?"
Norm: "Pretty nervous if I was in the room." Norm from 'Cheers'

Woody: "Little early in the day for a beer, isn't it, Norm?"
Norm: "So float a corn flake in it."

Grosvenor Street: (corner of Whitefriars) The King's Head Hotel (shown right) Closed 1986. The site of this handsome building is now occupied by Jessop's camera shop and insurance offices within a 'Tudor Lego-style' development by the name of 'Friarsgate'- which was seriously damaged by fire in December 2006.
In November 2007, Graham Blackwell wrote to us, "My uncle Jack Blackwell was the landlord of the King's Head Hotel, which must have been around the early 1970s. He was well known in publican circles around Chester and I remember after his funeral, when licensing hours meant closing at 3pm, that all attendees were cordially invited to spend the afternoon in a variety of establishments all over town! I think it ended in the sadly demised Commercial. Jack's last 'post' was running the bar at the Gateway Theatre.
Since embarking on family history and knowing nothing about my own family (and sadly now no-one to ask!) I have often wondered how many other establishments Jack had been involved in. I know he got the sack from many due to his liking for the drink. Nothing to do with Chester I know but the list also includes Hawkstone Park Hotel in Shropshire, the Equestrian Club in Raby Mere and hotels in Blackpool and the Isle of Man!
I think I have some of his genes!"
Brooksbanks wine merchants were situated on the corner of Grosvenor Street and Lower Bridge Street until they were demolished in 1961 to make way for the Inner Ring Road. A special feature about the Brooksbanks business, with some fascinating photographs by Keith Rhodes and Chris Langford, is here.

The Groves: In the 1840 directory it is recorded that a Mr John Walls was licensee of The Groves Tavern. Originally built in the early 18th century, Groves House had originally been the home of a Recorder of Chester, Roger Comberback, who died in 1719. Richard Tyrwhitt, a later Recorder, took the tenancy of Groves House in 1820. It became an inn by the name of The Queen's Park Hotel soon after he vacated it in 1830, its name later changing to The Groves Tavern. The building of the suspension bridge in 1852, when Enoch Gerrard developed the Queen's Park residential area across the river, resulted in the "curtailing" of the inn. It had apparently ceased to function as such when its remainder was obliterated when the still-surviving houses next to the bridge were built.
During the years 1873/7 licensing records show a beer-house trading under the name The Causeway Tavern, licencee Mr John Moor Ainsworth. It is recorded that the owner was "The Lord Bishop". No known records of the pub exist after 1877.

"Who does not love beer, wine, women and song remains a fool his whole life long." Carl Worner

Handbridge: The White Horse (no 66), which was driven to closure by the same management that saw off the Ship Inn (see below), re-opened in April 2008 with an unimaginative new name, 'Handbridge'. There is a page about it on the Chester Wiki here, which succinctly informs us that "the pub has lost a lot of character".
The Angel- existed in 1791, landlord T. McCabe.
The Horse & Groom- existed in 1782, licencee Ann Hewitt.
The Harp- existed in 1781, landlord George Sconce.
The Eagle & Child- landlord 1782 John Liversage, in 1818-20 John Iverson. In 1811, an announcement appeared in the Chester Courant advertising the sale by auction of grass in the Governor's Field at Mrs Hughes' Eagle & Child. This meadow is now the modern extension to Overleigh Cemetery.
The Fox or Fox & Grapes- landlord in 1779 Marther Hayes, in 1781 Richard Hayes, in 1882 Edward Price.
The Duke of Wellington (no. 31) was demolished 1928 to make way for new shops- today is the site of Martin's Newsagents. Landlord in 1822 James Davies, in 1871 J B Jones, in 1900-28, William Hanmer.
The Hare and Hounds- remarkable for its variations of address- 149 and 117 Handbridge, Old Wrexham Road and 51 & 81 Overleigh Road. Landlord in 1781 John Morgan. Licence withdrawn in 1922. Its last landlord was John Hanmer, brother of William, landlord of the Duke of Wellington.
The Feathers (no. 146- Hugh Street today), landlord 1840-82 George Edwards.
The Coach & Horses (no. 17), landlord in 1778 William Ball, in 1809 Daniel Gibson, in 1840 John Jones, in 1871 George Edwards, in 1895 T Richards, licence withdrawn in 1922.
The King's Arms- landlord in 1822 J Murphy, in 1871 Hiam Ives. The Speed Family were licencees for the last 30 years of its existence. It closed in 1922 (this seems to have been a year of mass extinction for Handbridge pubs!) and is now a private residence on the corner of Old Wrexham Rd and Overleigh Rd.
The Handbridge Tavern.
The Waterloo Inn (no. 20) Landlord in 1818-20 William Nicolls, in 1822 J Jones, in 1840 Joseph Greenway (origin of Greenway Street?) in 1906 William Blackmore. It closed c.1922, since when it has been used for a variety of retail purposes.
The Old House at Home- also known as The Maypole- situated at junction of Eaton Rd and Overleigh Rd, landlord in 1782 George Lloyd, in 1822 Thomas Williams, in 1850 Samuel Crosbie, in 1855 Thomas Jackson.
The Wheatsheaf (no. 23)- last appeared in trade directories as a pub in 1905. By 1906 it had changed to a newsagents owned by a Mr E Dawson (Thanks to Godfrey Dawson, his Grandson, for this one).
The Lamb Inn- also known at various times as the Handbridge Hotel and Scott's Hotel- situated by entrance to 'Paradise', landlord 1812-29 Joseph Scott, 1840 James Clerk. Its licence was withdrawn before 1863. The White Lion (No. 60) Landlord in 1781 J Jackson.
Owners Punch Taverns have allowed the historic Ship Inn at the end of the Old Dee Bridge to remain empty and boarded up since Spring 2005. The Ship's licence can be traced back to 1741when the landlord was a Mr Walley. In 1770 the licencee was Stephen Hyde, in 1781 J Bannister, in 1874 Alexander Richardson, in 1910 the Gray Family, dfuring the 1980s Norman Wakefield. The last licencee before closure was Pat Wilbraham. During the period 1850-60, the licencee, Mr William Dutton, was a man of many talents, for as well as landlord he was also a practicing blacksmith, farrier and wheelwright. The Ship was indeed a waterside hostelry with around it, manufacturers of twine and rope for fishing nets. It had a new frontage added in 1925. As early as 1441, a record of an 'ale hous' on the same site tells of a brawl taking place over a lady of doubtful reputation. The men involved were fined 1s 6d each for disturbing the peace but the 'lady' was confined in a house of correction for 7 days.
In December 2007 it seems that life may be returning to the old Ship. There have been skips outside full of old mattresses and sundry junk and we've heard that the place was destined to become a bar / restaurant designed "along the lines of Harkers". More on this excellent news when we get it.
Another pub, The Dolphin, landlord J South, is recorded as existing in 1781 located "at the south end of the Old Dee Bridge".

Currently, the only pubs left in Handbridge are The Grosvenor Arms ('Clubbbie's'), The Red Lion (closed for a while but restored and re-opened in 2007) and The Carlton Tavern.
The apocryphal story concerning The Grosvenor Arms is that its first landlady was one Miss Sarah Clubb who had earlier had an affair with the Marquis of Westminster. When she became pregnant, he dumped her, but set her up in business in the pub- and put his own name over the door! This fine establishment has been known by locals as Clubbie's ever since...

Returning to the Red Lion, we recently received this appeal from Barbara Winterton in St. Gelven, Brittany: "I'll explain why I was asking about The Red Lion in Handbridge. Many years ago my great aunt lived there with Em Humphries who was the landlady. I remember visiting them with my grandfather with whom I lived. I think that when Em Humphries died in the 1960s or 1970s that she was the oldest landlady in Chester as she was 92. I also think that she was a family member but don't know where she fits in. There was some scandal about her having an illegitimate child but again I have no further information. I would love to be able to place her in the family and suspect that she was the step daughter of Joseph Evans of the Elephant & Castle (in Eastgate Street) although her name would have been Williams. I purchased a copy of Joseph's will in the hopes that he had actually been landlord at the Red Lion and that Em had taken over later. I tried to find out who was in the Red Lion in 1901 but have failed using the Internet and no one can tell me how to find out any other way. If any of your informants have any info on Em I would be most grateful".
You can contact Barbara here: barbara.winterton@wanadoo.fr Telephone: ++33 (0)2 96 36 97 31. We don't know when Em Humpries first became licencee of the Red Lion but she was certainly there in 1942.

"It is my design to die in the brew-house;
let ale be placed to my mouth when I am expiring,
that when the choirs of angels come,
they may say, "Be God propitious to this drinker." Saint Columbanus AD 612

Hoole: The Ermine on Hoole Road closed in February 2004 but re-opened the following July with a much-improved interior and a new name- The Flookersbrook. Some interesting photographs of its many changes through the years may be seen here.
The Directory of Licenced Houses for the year 1891 contains several entries for The Letters which, curiously, is listed as being both on Walker Street and on Peploe Street (the former name of today's Westminster Road) Even more confusingly, its owners are listed as,
1) the Wilderspool Brewery, Warrington (licencee Charles R Harrison),
2) Mr A Pritchard, Solicitor of Chester (licencee John Payne, lessee Walker & Co, Warington),
3) William Wood of Hoole (licencee Benjamin Jones, lessee Lion Brewery Co, Chester),
4) Robert C Drury of Chester (licencee William Mullins, lessee Walker & Co, Warringon).
The premises is described as "beerhouse, on and off sales" except under the latter's entry where it is described as "off sales only".

“God made yeast, as well as dough, and he loves fermentation just as dearly as he loves vegetation." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hunter Street: The Doric Hotel.
The Crown and Mitre

Lyon Street: The Liverpool Arms

Leadworks Lane: The Ironbridge.
The Jolly Miller Inn (no. 35, next to bridge) Licencee in 1942, Mrs E A Haswell.

Linenhall Street: The Sportsman's Arms.
The Linenhall Tavern

Liverpool Road (Upton): The Brewer's Arms: rebuilt and renamed The Frog. Licencee in 1942 Mrs Kathleen Archer.

"No, sir, there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern or inn". Dr Samuel Johnson

Love Street: The Mansion House. Built in the 1780s as the town residence of the Barnston family of Crewe Hill, Forest House was the largest and grandest private house in Georgian Chester. After Sir Roger, the last of the Barnstons, died in 1837, the house became auction rooms and then served as a furniture depository, its wings were demolished (only the central block survives) and their site as well as the extensive gardens built upon. A branch of the Co-Op opened there around 1909 and the building housed a tea rooms/dancehall in the 1940s and 50s. In the 70s, it became a live music venue called Smarties (Smarty's?) where bands including The Cure, Adam and the Ants and The Pretenders performed. It eventually hosted a bewildering succession of night clubs including Angel's, High Society, Raphael's and, finally, Love Street until, in 2004 it was extensively- and very expensively- restored by Lee's Brewery, bringing back to view many remarkable architectural features which, during its nightclub phase- and probably before- had remained concealed and forgotten behind utilitarian panelling. The result was The Mansion House- a complex of bars, restaurant and dance floors designed to appeal to a slightly older and more 'discerning' clientelle than were currently being catered for by Brannigan's just across the road and suchlike venues in the area. Sadly, the enterprise proved to be a financial disaster, the Mansion House closed within the year and the building currently remains empty awaiting a new owner.

Mercia Square: In March 2003, Jason wrote to us, "not sure if this falls into the category (of 'vanished Chester pubs') or is long enough ago, but when you used to be able to walk thru mercia square to the sweet kiosk in the middle and the back bit of whsmiths (for records) there was a wine bar called Dukes (the old pumphouse?) and across from it was another that backed onto the walls ..pierre griff ( not sure of spelling or if that's the right name- it was something lke that ) anyway... they are part of my memories of that area". Thanks for that Jason. Anybody got a photograph or further details of these places?
talbot hotel

A couple of years later, Jan 2005, Andy Wressell wrote to us as follows- "Firstly may I say how wonderfully absorbing your website is, I must have spent hours going from one link to another. As a Cestrian myself of 41 years many dormant memories of pubs and other buildings long gone were dusted off and recalled. I particularly enjoyed reading about Mercia Square and its bars. I remember the bar/restaurant on the upper level of Mercia Square called Dukes Wine Bar. When you entered through the glass door you found yourself in a dark room with an L-shaped bar straight in front of you. Its restaurant was to the left of the entrance and I seem to remember wagon wheels were the theme here decorating the walls.
Next to Dukes, with an adjoining internal door, was a bar called The Pump Room. I also recall this bar had a revolving door leading from the square. The decor here was old wooden barrels used as tables.
Also on Mercia Square was the wine bar Pierre Griff's, with its 'P.Gs' motif in the window with what could only be described as a drunken cherub straddling a barrel. Inside, wine bottle candleholders covered with an unbelievable amount of melted wax were the centrepiece of each table. This wine bar must have been responsible for introducing many a young Cestrian to the pleasures of wine drinking as beers and spirits were not served here.
Mercia Square was always alive with a happy atmosphere; laughter echoed as many drinkers would spill out from the bars to enjoy the summer night air. Friends would use the square as a meeting point and inadvertently spend the rest of the evening there lost in time".
Thanks for that Andy. Shame the old square is such a dump these days.

“I would give all my fame for a pot of ale, and safety.” Shakespeare: King Henry V

Newgate Street: The Talbot Hotel (no.1) Landlady in 1898: Mrs Maria Elizabeth Hilton. Seen above, just before its demolition in 1964, one of the many casualties of the Grosvenor Precinct. A photograph of its actual demolition is here... Recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809
The Prince of Wales- also recorded in the 1809 polling station list.
The Newgate Tavern

"From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world." Saint Arnold of Metz, the patron Saint of Brewers

Back to Chester's Vanished Pubs part I On to parts 3 and 4

"When things go wrong and will not come right,
Though you do the best you can,
When life looks black as the hour of night -
A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN.
When money's tight and hard to get
And your horse is an also-ran,
When all you have is a heap of debt -
A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN.
When health is bad and your heart feels strange,
And your face is pale and wan,
When doctors say you need a change,
A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN.
When food is scarce and your larder bare
And no rashers grease your pan,
When hunger grows as your meals are rare -
A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN.
In time of trouble and lousy strife,
You have still got a darlint plan
You still can turn to a brighter life -
A PINT OF PLAIN IS YOUR ONLY MAN".
Flann O'Brien, 'At Swim Two Birds'

Write to us! Your contributions- or corrections- to these pages are most welcome...

A Virtual Stroll Around the Walls of Chester