A Brief Guide to Bevois Mount’s Lost Pubs
Alma Inn (map no. 1) is shown as a beer house on 1878 Drink Map. In March 1916 Mr Gosling, the landlord, was fined for allowing ‘treating’ (round buying) on the premises. After being damaged during the war, the pub was modernised and rebuilt in the late 1940s. It features on the Alma Road mural.
Star Inn (map no. 2) was originally a beer house and dates back to the early 1870s when Eli Rose was the landlord. The pub stands on the corner of Avenue Road which was known as Betts Road in those days. Alan, the last landlord, had an aviary in the back garden which customers were able to visit. The Star closed and became a residential dwelling in the early 1990s.
Bevois Tavern [map no. 5] was a beer house since 1878. It became Smeeds in 1928.
The Bevois Mount brewery [map no. 6] dates from the 1850s and was a beer retailer for many years.
Honest Lawyer [map no 7] was run by the landlord J. Knox in 1878. It had traditional lounge and public bars until landlord and landlady, Malcolm and Joyce, retired in the early 1990s. Their successor aroused the ire of the locals before he even arrived by changing the pub into a single through bar. Worse was to come when he was discovered to be gay! However, before long Terry Barrett was (probably) the most popular landlord of the Honest, ever. It is now the Lime Bar – a strange fusion of a garish games bar and a Chinese restaurant.
Royal Oak (now The Bent Brief) [map no. 8] was a beer house since the early 1870s that was run by G. Bishop. It received a full licence in 1958 when the licence of the Wonder Inn at Northam Road was surrendered. Since the late 19th century the government has tried to reduce the number of licences and 1945 Licensing Act ordered that no new licences should be granted. Pubs took on old licenses.
The Royal Oak had a long history of troubles which began in 1888 as Robert Harrington tried to cut his wife’s throat. In 1916 Patience Runyard, landlady,was fined £3 for treating – this was simply the practice of buying a round and it was made illegal under The Defence of the Realm Act 1914. This act also introduced licencing hours for the first time.
In 1988 a group of Asians and West Indians held a protest march because of the alleged racism of the landlord. The brewery got rid of the landlord and the Chahal family ran it until 1995. After that Andy Wade took over and at first changed the name to Scholars but then to The Bent Brief as a play on the name of the Honest Lawyer. The Bent Brief became a popular local free music venue but in January 2016 Andy and his partner Maureen were forced to leave because of the unreasonable rent demanded by the brewery and the building has been abandoned ever since.
Train Hotel [map no. 11] was active around the early 1870s. It had to be demolished after an air raid. More than fifty pubs were destroyed during WWII.
The Red Cow [map no. 12] was run by the Keeping family for many years from 1865.
The Royal Arms [map no. 13] was established in the early 1870s. It came into disrepute in August 1915 when its landlady Eliza Nightingale was fined £10 for serving out of hours and refusing to admit a policeman. During WW2 a Heinkel 3 crash landed on the houses on the other side of the street. The impact affected the Royal Arms which had to be supported by wooden posts for many years. Its last incarnation as a pub was as The Gate House and the sign still hangs outside. Unfortunately the change of name did nothing to restore its popularity and it was changed into flats within a couple of years.
Bevois Tavern [map no. 5] was a beer house since 1878. It became Smeeds in 1928.
The Bevois Mount brewery [map no. 6] dates from the 1850s and was a beer retailer for many years.
Honest Lawyer [map no 7] was run by the landlord J. Knox in 1878. It had traditional lounge and public bars until landlord and landlady, Malcolm and Joyce, retired in the early 1990s. Their successor aroused the ire of the locals before he even arrived by changing the pub into a single through bar. Worse was to come when he was discovered to be gay! However, before long Terry Barrett was (probably) the most popular landlord of the Honest, ever. It is now the Lime Bar – a strange fusion of a garish games bar and a Chinese restaurant.
Royal Oak (now The Bent Brief) [map no. 8] was a beer house since the early 1870s that was run by G. Bishop. It received a full licence in 1958 when the licence of the Wonder Inn at Northam Road was surrendered. Since the late 19th century the government has tried to reduce the number of licences and 1945 Licensing Act ordered that no new licences should be granted. Pubs took on old licenses.
The Royal Oak had a long history of troubles which began in 1888 as Robert Harrington tried to cut his wife’s throat. In 1916 Patience Runyard, landlady,was fined £3 for treating – this was simply the practice of buying a round and it was made illegal under The Defence of the Realm Act 1914. This act also introduced licencing hours for the first time.
In 1988 a group of Asians and West Indians held a protest march because of the alleged racism of the landlord. The brewery got rid of the landlord and the Chahal family ran it until 1995. After that Andy Wade took over and at first changed the name to Scholars but then to The Bent Brief as a play on the name of the Honest Lawyer. The Bent Brief became a popular local free music venue but in January 2016 Andy and his partner Maureen were forced to leave because of the unreasonable rent demanded by the brewery and the building has been abandoned ever since.
Train Hotel [map no. 11] was active around the early 1870s. It had to be demolished after an air raid. More than fifty pubs were destroyed during WWII.
The Red Cow [map no. 12] was run by the Keeping family for many years from 1865.
The Royal Arms [map no. 13] was established in the early 1870s. It came into disrepute in August 1915 when its landlady Eliza Nightingale was fined £10 for serving out of hours and refusing to admit a policeman. During WW2 a Heinkel 3 crash landed on the houses on the other side of the street. The impact affected the Royal Arms which had to be supported by wooden posts for many years. Its last incarnation as a pub was as The Gate House and the sign still hangs outside. Unfortunately the change of name did nothing to restore its popularity and it was changed into flats within a couple of years.
We don’t have much information on the Bevois Mount Hotel [map no. 14] but a card dating 1862 provides some insights (see below). It offered tea and pleasure gardens and was a dealer in fine wines (Eau de Vie). Pic-nic parties were also accommodated. It later became the Avenue bar and is now residential premises.
Padwell Arms [map no. 15] was a beer house and off-licence supplied by Coopers Brewery (York Buildings). Its license was surrendered in 1931 and transferred to the Malvern Tavern.
York Tavern (map no. 17) is shown as a beer house on the 1878 Drinking Map. Its beer licence dated back to 1869. It was granted a full licence on 8th March 1960. The licence was surrendered and the building was sold to become a private house on 31st August 1971. Scrase’s Star Brewery owned the pub in the early years of the 20th century. The photograph below left shows customers of the York Tavern and York Street, which is now Methuen Street, seen in the present day photograph right.