St. Anne Street: The Barley Mow Inn (no. 32a, corner of Oulton Place), demolished to make way for the Inner Ring Road.
The Alma Inn (no. 90, illustrated here, just before demolition). Landlord in 1942 Frank Bass, 1960s/early 70s Stan Kerr (see 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 Street off Egerton Street.
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 the loss. We ended up in council housing after living in the Waterloo Inn for a couple of years... If any of your readers remember Newtown in the 60s I would like to say hello. I am the eldest daughter of Stan and Betty Kerr (both passed away in recent years)".

See some more photographs of the last days of the Alma in our Lost Pubs of Chester Gallery here.

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day". Frank Sinatra

St. John Street: The west side, before the widening of St. John's Lane, as it 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" (and probably more strictly in Foregate Street) 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.

St. Martin's Fields: The Painter's Arms, (no.1 St. Martin's Fields) Licencee in 1942, Mrs E A S Bartlett. Demolished in 1960s for Inner Ring Road construction. More information on this pub would be gratefully received.
St. Peter's Churchyard: The Three Crowns Inn (illustrated by William Callow right) formerly stood where the City Club or Commercial News Rooms stands in Northgate Street today. An inn had existed here as far back as 1272 when Richard de Knaresburgh left his daughter a shop "near the inn which was Hugh Selimon's towards the church of St. Peter's". Nothing more is heard of it for 500 years until, in 1782, The Three Crowns' landlord was Thomas Lewis. In 1855, author and guide Thomas Hughes described the inn as having an old and picturesque gable front and that its chief entrance was from Shoemaker's Row with another from St. Peter's Churchyard. He also remarked that it had enjoyed its finest days long before it was eventually demolished in 1808, when its sign and licence were transferred to new premises in Pepper Alley- whose name was changed to the Bridgewater Tavern in 1831.
Until very recently, the excellent Commercial Hotel also traded in this quiet backwater, tucked away behind St. Peter's Church in the heart of the city. The popular old pub was built as part of the same development as the Commercial Newsrooms on Northgate Street, by the prolific Chester architect Thomas Harrison. He was also responsible for the Northgate, Grosvenor Bridge, the re-building of Chester Castle and much else in the city- but this was his only pub. It was abruptly closed down in 2005 and an application was made to tear out its interior in preparation for its conversion into what many suspected would be some variety of wine bar. Planning permission was refused, the applicant, Punch Taverns, did a runner and, at the time of writing, the place- a listed building- is sitting derelict (having in the meantime been further damaged by a 'mysterious' fire) waiting for new management to take over. A shabby story indeed.
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 with great credit to himself and satisfaction to his supporters. The house still remains in his efficient hands". Those were the days. In 1942 the licencee was Charles Weymouth. The last before Punch saw it off was Peter Tomkinson.
An inn by the name of The Rising Sun existed in St. Peter's Churchyard in 1782 when the landlady was Mrs. Gorton on the site of the Commercial. Even earlier, around 1630, the clergy at St. Peter's lodged numerous complaints that the clientelle of this and the other inns surrounding the old churchyard (for it actually was a place of burial until the opening of the Overleigh Cemetery) used it as a short cut and "committed numerous nuisances" there- much, as the nauseating smell indicates, their descendents continue to do today in the narrow passagways leading to it... In 1808, it was referred to as The Sun Tavern, not to be confused with another Sun Tavern at 9 Northgate Street, which was recorded in 1675 and whose name was changed to The Sun Vaults by 1873. In 1808, the developers of the Commercial News Rooms acquired the inn in the churchyard and completely rebuilt it, naming it The Commercial Tavern.

"But if at church they would give some ale.
And a pleasant fire our souls to regale.
We’d sing and we’d pray all the live long day,
Nor ever once from the church to stray."
William Blake

St. Werburgh Street: The Mitre Inn

The Bars: The Bars Hotel & Restaurant (no. 48 Foregate Street). Landlord 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- demolished to make way for large housing development. 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 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".

Tower Street: The Durham Ox (no. 37). Landlord in 1942 Charles Henry Boulter.

Tower Wharf: The Ellsmere Canal Tavern, also known as The Canal Packet House. The building, now known as Raymond House, once housed both the offices of the Ellsmere and Chester Canal Company and the Ellsmere Canal Tavern (the tall building in the illustration below). It served passengers waiting to use the Chester to Liverpool packet boats during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The service was so successful that the landlord, Captain Thomas Crimes, had to take on a second house, the recently-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, "He has fitted up the tavern with good beds, wines, spirituously malt liquors for the entertainment of families, travellers and the public in general whose favours he humbly solicits assuring them it will be his constant study to merit their approbation and support".
By the 1850s, the railway had taken the trade away, the tavern closed and the building became the head office of the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company. Today it is the regional HQ of British waterways. Immediately to the right of the old tavern stands what is now 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 around Chester during WW2. (Their main camps were at Vicar's Cross- the site of 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 to play his final gig that night, but, not surprisingly, he didn't bother turning up, and had to be hastily replaced with Johnny Hutchinson. (The first Beatles concert with Ringo behind the drum-kit, at Hulme Hall in Birkenhead, took place two nights later).
The Riverpark Ballroom closed the following year and today the site is occupied by a bank's offices.

"Give my people plenty of beer, good beer and cheap beer, and you will have no revolution" Queen Victoria

Walter Street: The New Inn (no. 28), landlord in 1942 William P Tushingham. Now private housing.

Watergate Street: The Fox and Goose- a note in the Cheshire Sheaf in 1915 tells us "that it was situated on the north side of Wategate Street adjoining St. Peter's Church, and is doubtless the house now known as The Victoria" (which is still with us today). Before 1670, the licencee was Elizabeth Leighfield and at this date it passed to a cooper named Hugh Roberts. It was passed on through this family until 1765 when it was acquired by the Stringer Family, who remained in occupation "for the best part of another hundred years".
The Swan- existed in 1766 (Cheshire Sheaf).
The Castle & Falcon- situated in Watergate Row North, between St. Peter's Church and Goss Street and first mentioned as existing in 1729. In 1760 the landlord, Lawrence Smith moved from here to The Yacht further down the road (see below). Licencee 1782-95 Francis Lake, 1809 Mrs Bevan, 1846-60 Mary Jones. In 1874 a licence was refused to Joseph Salmon on the grounds that the building was no longer being used as a public house. However, in the same year, it was recorded that a spirit vaults was being kept by a Miss Emma Salmon at 16 Watergate Street- that is, on the street level directly below the old Castle & Falcon. In the 1904 the licencee of Salmon's Vaults was Thomas Clarke and in 1912, T Meacock. The inn was last recorded during the 1930s when it was closed and replaced by Breward's China Stores. Just before WW2, the premises became part of Aston's showrooms. The Castle & Falcon was included in a list of polling stations in 1809.
The Three Pigeons - also recorded in the polling station list in 1809.
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. It was recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809.
Ye Hand & Snake- recorded in 1723; writing the Cheshire Sheaf in 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. Recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809.
Confusingly, the splendid 17th century building in Watergate Street known as Bishop Lloyd's House was also, in the latter part of the 18th century, licenced as The Yacht Inn. After a lapse of many years, it was re-licenced in the 1880s as The Palace Vaults in the charge of Mr and Mrs Woolley. The bar was at row level with a smoke room above. In the loft were chickens kept as pets by the Woollie children.
The Crown Inn (mentioned in the Cheshire Sheaf as existing in 1730).
The Moon Tavern. A licenced premises since 1645 which long retained a fine Elizabethan interior with most of its beams, stairs and fireplaces, still intact. It was one of a number of properties in Chester to be subject to the Execution Rent. Execution Rent Tenants were bound to keep watch for the city on three nights in the year, namely on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and St. Stephen's Day (26th December) and they were bound to mount guard over and conduct felons and robbers as far as the gallows. For their services these tenants were "exempt from attendance on all inquisitions, juries and assizes, except when held before the Lord, the Prince and the Earl of Chester". It was recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809. It was later renamed The Deva Hotel and was 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, "a thoughtful, respectable woman, a fine specimen of the real old-fashioned sort of landlady, of whom I suspect there are not many now to be met with under the shadow of 'mine inn'". The Deva was originally a two storey pub, however the street level pub closed down, leaving the Row level section of the pub only, at 8 Watergate Row North. It finally closed and became a wine and dine bar called The Room, but has since changed to a wine bar/restaurant called Amber Lounge.

The Old Wolf's Head- mentioned in a 1749 edition of the Chester Courant. In 1752, John Lamkin advertised that he had moved from the Old Wolf's Head to the Sign of the Golden Lyon in Foregate Street.
The Red Dog.
The Bell Tavern- existing in 1840 in Watergate Row North when the licencee was Ralph Barnes.
The Carnarvon Castle (corner of Crooke Street, now a bookmaker's). It was recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809. Reader Nathan Brett wrote to tell us, "Hallo! I was looking through your website of old forgotten pubs in Chester hoping to discover something of the Carnarvon Castle on Watergate. I thought that the attached photo may be of interest. It is from a silver plated cigarette holder that belonged to my grandfather Terry Jones who was one of twin sons to the chap in the photo, the proprietor of The Carnarvon Castle, Walter Jones (my great grandfather). Terry's twin was called Leo and there was also an older son called Walter after his father who was a Private in the Cheshire regiment and died in WW1 in Belgium, I believe his name is recorded on a wooden plaque along with the other fallen soldiers of Chester in City Hall (?). I think the "Prime Old Tenpenny Ale" sounds pretty good... I know very little else other than the twins did not get on that well and my grandfather lit a fire in the Carnarvon Castle under his brother Leo's bed! Happily all concerned 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 know anything more of this pub or its inhabitants or if you have a photo past or present of the building, I would be most grateful!"

Wellington Street: (off George Street) In 1840, there was a pub here with the curious name of The Sign of the Board.

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.

Whitefriars: The King's Head - recorded as being used as a polling station in 1809

"Oh, beer! It makes good cheer, And proves the poor man's worth; It cools the body through and through, and regulates the health". Anonymous

Unknown Locations: the Pig & Tinder Box: to quote the Cheshire Sheaf of 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.
The Bleeding Horse (what a name!) was kept in 1778 /1779 by Joseph Moors.
The Hat & Beaver's landlord in 1778 was Thomas Hill.

"I believe, if we take habitual drunkards as a class, their heads and their hearts will bear an advantageous comparison with those of any other class. There seems ever to have been a proneness in the brilliant and warm-blooded to fall into this vice." Abraham Lincoln

Vanished Chester Breweries: Brewing had almost disappeared from Chester by the late 19th century, and by 1909 only one concern was left. The decline was due to the elimination of public-house breweries and the concentration of ownership among the commercial brewery companies. In 1871 there were 13 breweries in Chester, of which seven appear to have been pub breweries. All the latter had ceased operation by 1892. Of the commercial breweries, the three biggest were Edward Russell Seller & Co. in Foregate Street, the Lion Brewery in Pepper Street, and the Chester Northgate Brewery. The Seller family owned the first mentioned until 1889 when the concern was sold to the Albion Brewery Co. of Wigan and the brewery closed shortly afterwards.
In 1697, a messuage (dwelling house), cellar, kiln and malthouse in the holding of William Sudlow, apothecary and bearing the curious name of The Hand & Snake (was it also an inn?) was first recorded as standing in Pepper Street. Between 1871 and 1892 the premises passed through at least four hands- including the Whittells and Messrs Walton & Clare- before being acquired by Thomas Montgomery. His business was incorporated as the Chester Lion Brewery Co. Ltd. in 1896, but was taken over by Bent's Brewery of Liverpool in 1902. The brewery was closed soon afterwards.
The Northgate Brewery (also here), Northgate Street, was the only Chester brewery to survive beyond 1914. By 1891 the company owned 21 tied houses in Chester and numerous others within a radius of 15 miles from the city (British History Online). It was founded in 1760 at the Golden Falcon Hotel. A new brewery was built on the site in the 1850s. Registered March 1889. Acquired by Greenall Whitley & Co Ltd in 1949 with about 140 tied houses. Brewing ceased in 1969 and it was demolished in 1971. An office block, Centurion House now occupies the site. The Lion Brewery, Pepper Street, was founded in 1642. It was registered in May 1896 to acquire the business of Thomas Montgomery with 40 public houses. Acquired by Bent's Brewery Co Ltd in 1902 and brewing ceased. The building was demolished in 1969 and replaced by a multi-storey car park. The Chester Civic Trust rescued a large stone lion, the trademark of the old brewery and re-erected it on top of the car park's tower, where it remains a prominent feature today.
Snape and Bagnall's Brewery- is mentioned in the Cheshire Sheaf as being located "in the vicinity of King's Buildings close to the archway that leads to the canal" and existing in 1831. It was later being operated by a Mr Clubbe and later still was known as Huxlie's Brewery. An ancestor of the aforementioned Mr James Snape had previously owned a brewery at Barrel Well Hill in Boughton- which, during the 18th century also offered cold baths "with a reputation for health-giving properties". The premises, described as a "well-established porter, ale and beer brewery with new erected steam engine, copper coolers etc with shipping quay at the front and an excellent family house and gardens" was advertised for sale in 1809 and the site was taken over by the Chester Waterworks Company in 1826 (whose successors still own it). The brewery had presumably moved to King Street by that time.
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 bakehouse and other industrial buildings, were removed in the 18th century to make 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). An ancient house in Lower Bridge Street, Paris's Hall, home of Richard the Engineer, master mason of Chester Castle and, around 1277, the builder of Flint Castle, was converted into a brewery in the early 19th century. Part of the vanished Old Coach Row and standing next to St. Olave's Church, the site is now occupied by a large, ugly and extremely inappropriately-situated car showroom.
It is said that, in former times, beer was brewed at the Liver Inn in Brook Street, (closed in 2004 but recently reopened after restoration) the water for which was drawn directly from a culverted stream, the Flookersbrook, that flowed- and doubtless continues to flow- beneath the building and from which Brook Street derives its name.

This website is grateful for the generous support of the WC Brewery, Mickle Trafford, Chester

In 1295, the army of King Edward I, while campaigning in Wales, ran short of beer. The king wrote to the Mayor of Chester to order him to summon all the brewers of the town to produce as much beer as they could and deliver it by sea at their earliest opportunity to him in Anglesey. This was doubtlessly seen as a golden opportunity by the brewers. That they succeeded in supplying the considerable needs of the great army indicates how many brewers there must have been in Chester in the 13th century.
A century later, in 1487, when Chester's authorities summoned everyone engaged in the brewing industry to have their measures 'sealed'- officially endorsed as being of acceptable standard, 57 brewers- the majority of them female- and 101 ale-sellers were recorded in the town.

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!

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. Jon Wainwright wrote to tell us of the Chester & South Clwyd branch of CAMRA's new website which, he tells us, "is more specific to Chester than 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@Large offers to-the-point reviews of our city's pubs and restaurants, and has recently launched an online forum so you can add your two penn'orth.

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