Lion Walk, off Sansome Walk, got its name from the White Lion public house which existed there until about 1908. Hares Lane and Hounds Lane, (off Bridport, the site now occupied by the Technical College in Dean's Way) is said to have been so called after an inn, the Hare & Hounds, which existed there some time in the 17th century...
The Bridport area had an unusual number of signs commemorating battles and commanders; the Duke of Wellington, Prince Blutcher, and the Prince Regent in Bridport, General Hill in Fish Street, Lord Nelson in All Hallows, and the Mouth of the Nile (after Nelson's famous victory) in Copenhagen Street. It was usual in the 19th century and before, for....
The Fleece Inn, nestled in the picturesque Worcestershire village of Bretforton, is far more than just a pub; it's a living piece of history. From its original Victorian furnishings and low wooden beams to the countless paintings and photographs adorning its walls, the inn exudes an atmosphere rich with stories of times gone by. It's even rumored to have inspired the Prancing Pony Inn in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
A 600-Year Legacy....
A Glimpse into the Past: The Rich History of the Raven Hotel
The Raven Hotel in Droitwich is more than just a place to stay; it's a living piece of history. Long before it became the hotel we know today, the building and its grounds were steeped in the town's rich past, a story that stretches back centuries....
On the high ground overlooking the Severn in Henwick Road, just north of the Dog and Duck Ferry, were the Porto Bello Gardens, pleasure gardens open to the public. There was a fine view from the 18th- century house to the cathedral and it was a very popular place with the young bloods of the city. In Regency days the gardens were famous and an enthusiastic writer of the time described them as superior to the London tea gardens. Sadly, they were closed in the 1850s because of maliciously spread 'rumours of evil reports'............
The Britannia Brewery stood almost opposite Paradise Row. It later became Spreckley's Brewery. It was started by a Mr. Joseph in early Victorian times, but at first, Worcester did not take to large scale brewing, being content with home-brewed ale.But times were changing . Breweries began buying up public houses, which became.....
The Pack Horse was one of the staging houses on the Shrewsbury to London run, but dates earlier than the coaching ere, for it is said to have held a license since 1485. It had great accommodation, and on one September Hop Fair, the landlord..
Before 1835 the parish of St.Michael's was out of the city boundaries and jurisdiction. Both the Talbot and the Hare and Hounds in College Street were widely used for country business, all the amenities of the town but officially beyond its limits.....
This imposing house, almost opposite the Reindeer Inn, was the Shades Inn, but originally, it was the home of the Russell family, one of the principal families of the City.
Those battling to save Worcester's Golden Lion as a pub have made a remarkable discovery which adds weight to their campaign.
Article credits; Pam Hinks would like to thank Worcester News, formely Berrow's, for permission to reproduce copyright material
The Plough Inn, off Cornmarket, which was demolished to make way for the new Walls Road in c1970, was well over 600 years old. It was originally a religious inn called the Archangel, and stood just outside St Martin's Gate, to accommodate traveler's that arrived too late to enter the City.
A leaflet found in a chimney stack at Ombersley shows that the inn at Hadley was used for other than bowling, and that in the 18th century a 'Mop' was held there. The leaflet reads as follows:
In Berrow's Worcester Journal of May 1754, there was an appeal for a lost person, which mentions a tavern under the 'Sign of the Dog' outside the Turnpike gates, which then stood at the bottom of Wheatsheaf Hill, at the junction of the London and Tewkesbury roads. It reads:
The Crown Inn, Broad Street, Worcester, is a fine example of an old coaching inn of the 18th century, but in fact it is much older than that. There are references to the Crown in the City Chamberlains Account's of 1566, and again of 1578, under the heading 'Rentall of the Cities landes in St Nicholas parish' -
This inn was originally the White Hart, and the first reference to this inn, now renowned throughout the country and to tourists abroad, is in 1532
Almost next door to the King's Arms is the Crown and Sandy's. This fine inn mentioned in the parish register in 1740, has a late Georgian front, but parts are older, and it was said previously to have been thatched.
The Kings Arms is a very old, half-timbered inn, dating from the early 17th century, with parts going further back to the 15th.
The Cross Key's Inn was one of a group of ecclesiastical inns near the Cathedral; the other being the Cardinal's Hat (almost opposite), the Angel de la Trompe, The Mitre and the Seven Stars, all of which have now gone . The Cross Keys did a large trade on market days till the end of the 19th century, but there were 30 licensed houses close around, and the Cross Keys, having had four tenants in 40 years, was the worst of the lot, and was closed about 1905.
Worcester Cathedral in the period of 1100 to 1540 was one of the principal places of pilgrimage. Many ecclesiastical inns sheltered near the Cathedral catering for the traveler and pilgrim....
To contrast to the Magpie above, the Farmers Arms on Kempsey Common was converted to a tavern when originally it was the parish Workhouse.
The Magpie Inn at Tardebigge was also in the churchyard in days past, but in 1830, it was converted to a school. Before that, when the parson went out to the vestry to exchange surplice for a black gown for preaching, he would step across to the pub for a quick glass of ale while the psalm was sung.
The Mug House is a rare example of a public house in a churchyard, some say, the only one today. Tombstones, flaking and grey, are within a few feet of the front door, and the church, is only 30 paces away. Calling for their evening pint, the villager's until recent times's had to approach by the churchyard path.
For centuries church ales were regular features of medieval life, and taverns were not only near at hand, but often in the church yard itself. The Old Talbot, in College Street, Worcester was originally the Church House for St. Michael's Church, which stood in the Cathedral churchyard. It dates from the 13th century at least, and played an important part in baking bread and brewing ales for church occasions.
The following are various information notes which doesn't warrant a particular section, but a point of interest during my research etc.
The Crown Inn was one of the inns sheltering beneath the walls of Evesham Abbey. It existed before the destruction of that great building, and probably found it convenient to change its name in those troubled times.
One of the earliest inns mentioned is the 'Hospice de la Trump' at Worcester in 1473.
The first reference to inns in Worcestershire come from documents referring to inns maintained by Ecclesiastic authorities. They all had religious signs, sheltering near the walls of great abbeys, offering refreshments and lodgings to pilgrims..
On the corner of Pump Street stands the Eagle Vaults, a good example of 1890 city tavern
