Coventry Pubs

Hi Primrose. Looking through the newspaper archives, Percy Cross left the Old Wheel to go to the Crystal Palace at Attleborough. On 23rd November 1937 he left The Old Griffin Inn to go to the Navigation Inn. There are references to Percy Cross, also known as L P Cross, being at the Navigation until at least 1953, so your mother is correct!

Hi Primrose, Anne. There are quite a few updates that members can add to the pubs section and I believe that work will be done on it when Fred Luckett and/or John Ashby are free from commitments. I've got quite a few snippets about pubs, especially how some of them moved location, confusing the records no end. I might make a topic dedicated to the issue as I'll have forgotten most of the things I find before long.

Rob, I'd be happy to add images I've found of pubs that do not currently feature an image. We've come across more recently.

That will be great Neil, thank you. As long as they're copyright-free or with owner's permission, you're welcome to email them to me and I'll add them. I'm happy to update any of the pub pages with new information from any members who would like to help. Fred & John will, I'm sure, be happy to learn more when they get more time.

Annewiggy, I take it you mean the Navigation, Stoney Stanton Road, not Bedworth, identical in build but the Navi at SSR was almost home to the Home Guard. Most of their training talk during the war over a pint. The pub stood back a little, half a dozen bikes out front, the tank, now gone from across the road, but Billy Buggins hut the other side of the bridge and road. Ah yes I can see it now, but never found out why it was called Paradise, unless because of birds and trees centuries before.

Enjoyable hour or two last night in the company of CliffB and Alan Denyer (the chap behind the CET and LTB buildings) at the old Turks Head pub building in Silver Street. As I've posted before I have a family connection with this place (ok, well it was with the original jettied building that went earlier in the 20th century but....). Jay McKeown on FB has the keys to the place currently and is trying to obtain a 20 year lease to turn it into a youth club/meeting place. He has a bit of a challenge but welcomed us to look around and get Alan's building renovation advice (it needs a lot!). Sadly there is no remaining evidence of the original pub (not even in the cellar) but it was really interesting to poke around. We even got into the loft space! Good luck, Jay!

Kaga, this is a report from the Midland Daily Telegraph in May 1925, showing the transfer of the pub's licence to one, Horatio Nelson - not a change in the name of the pub In April 1927, the Coventry Herald reported the transfer of the licence from Horatio Nelson Post copied from topic Smithford Street (inc. Ram Bridge) on 5th Oct 2021 6:09 pm

Some nice info for the pubs section, MR In 1919 the licensee was J Hains In 1920 they building was being demolished before rebuilding as a Tudor style building So it went from Arrmit Wallace Brown (who got in 1924) to a guy confusingly called Horatio Nelson in May 1925 Then from Mr Horatio Nelson to Sydney Burleigh Edwards in April 1927 By 1933 the licensee was A S Lane And so on. Post copied from topic Smithford Street (inc. Ram Bridge) on 5th Oct 2021 6:10 pm

Posted on the Much Park Street thread, showing the late, lamented Greyhound pub

I always liked the White Lion sign for the pub in Ironmonger Row. Francis Coudrill was a puppeteer and illustrator from Warwick.

Looks like Alex from Madagascar before they coloured him in. Plushy!

I've been looking at the Coach and Horses in Much Park Street. I'd already worked out that it was in two places but I'm now beginning to think that there is no connection between the two. The first was just north of the later Midland Brewery on the west side of the road. The other location is well known, just south of the Whitefriars gate on the east side. The former starts out in at least 1684 with Thomas Millward as the licensee. In 1686 Edward Waldron of Alcester, Warwickshire, an ironmonger, and John Catternes of Coventry, a tiler, transfers the property to Thomas King of Coventry, Alderman and brewer. It's called The Black Bear (or various spellings of such). There's a comment "heretofore in the tenure of George Baker, now or late of Charles Milward" and I'm thinking that it means that George Baker takes over as licensee from Charles Millward? Or is it the other way round? By 1759 Thomas King (I), (II), (III) and (IV) have died and a brother Edward King sells to William Lemon (I). By that time the place had been renamed the Coach and Horses. The records aren't clear if the inn is occupied by Turville Drayson of Dunchurch, Warwickshire, innholder or if he loans Mr Lemon money, or both. Poor Mr Lemon dies almost immediately and the situation gets very complicated about what then happens to the inn. In 1763 Drayson is repaid and the property becomes fully part of the Lemon family ownership. It seems that it was offered to Cleophas Dullison (I) but the deal is broken. After taking it to the authorities the inn is handed over in 1769. Mr Dullison isn't named as the owner of an inn, his business is carting and the location is ideal as it has several stables and 4 coach houses. Thereafter there is no mention of an inn other than as having previously been The Coach and Horses run by William Lemon. Although there was still a malt house in the yard, called Broad Yard in 1850, that was probably connected to the local pubs if only as a supplier but it's not apparent who was running it. The yard was later merged with the gardens of Knaves Post Yard to the north and eventually became the location of the Standard Motor Works. Confusingly the records of that Coach and Horses are merged with those of the building next the the gatehouse but I'm yet to find who, if anyone, ties them together. I'm not even sure when it started trading or if it was a renamed previous pub. It may be that the owners liked the name that had long been associated with the street. I shall investigate further.

I worked in Lloyds Bank, Corporation Street, in the late 60s early 70s and used to run to the Greyhound most lunchtimes for a pint of Bass and a crustry ham roll. Happy days

The Climax in the Arcade - you can just see the edge of the neon racing car to the right.