History of Warwick Pubs

Written by John Crossling (JohnCrossling@aol.com).

MALT SHOVEL The Malt Shovel was situated at 21-23 West Street and although it does not get a mention in the 
trade directories until 1849 it is recorded in the Victoria County History as a building dating from at 
least 1630 which is suggested by the large porch like projection. It is unlikely to have been a public 
house for all that time though. The building is still a prominent landmark on the left as you leave Warwick 
through the West Gate.  It is listed as a pub until 1905 during that time it had 11 licensees. 
1849 Hannah Sabin					1874 Charles Bartlett
1862 John Clarke						1880 John Harwood
1881-1883 Mary Ann Harwood 				1884-1889 William Turner 
1890-1891 H. Bastock 					1892-1896 J. Probert 
1897 C.G.H. Voss 					1898-1904 John Boswell 
1905 Albert H. Beale 
We can be fairly sure that it ceased to be a public house in 1905 as Mr. Beale is listed as living at 
that address in 1906 but there is no longer any mention of the Malt Shovel in the Public House section. 
Mr. Probert was yet another example of the landlord having to have two jobs to make ends meet as he was 
also listed as a whitesmith. 

MANCHESTER ARMS This pub was also situated on West Street not far from the previous one at number 30. 
It was only listed for about 20 years and nothing is known about it other than the list of 5 landlords 
during the period. 
1874 James Thomas Bates 					1862 James Barker 
1880-1882 Peter Hand Wydell 				1883-1885 William Hunt 
1886-1891 Thomas C. Page 					
Once again Mr. Page was listed at the address in 1892 but there was no longer any reference to the pub. 

MARLBOROUGH HEAD This was situated at 27 High Street but only two brief references to it have been found. 
Kemp in his "History of Warwick & Its People" (1905) mentions "High Street - No. 27 was as late as 1782 
The Marlborough Head". It is also showing on the 1788 map of the town when it was owned by Mr. George Ward. 

MATTOCK AND SPADE This was listed as being on Mill Street on the East side. Today this road is one of the 
most visited in Warwick at least by the tourist as it runs below the Castle and has a fine view of it from 
the far end. It does seem to be a strange street for a pub but if one looks closely as you walk down it 
there are clues to its existence. The 1851 map seemed to show the pub on both sides of the road and on 
the west side today is a building called the malt house which almost certainly belong to the pub as many 
brewed their own beer at that time. This building has featured quite heavily in the TV series "Dangerfield" 
as his house when he moved in to the town. It is listed as a pub from 1806 until 1862. It featured on the 
1806 map as owned by Mr. Gregory of London; 		Landlord Joseph Clarke. 
1828/1829 Thomas Hall; 						1833 Charlotte Hall
1849 Joseph Mann; 						1862 Henry Davis. 
A trade token to the value of 3d has been recorded from the Pub. Trade tokens were quite common during 
the 18th & 19th Century and were probably issued by the landlord as gaming chips when gambling on cards. 
They could have been exchanged for drinks at the pub to ensure that trade did not go elsewhere. 
They worked in much the same way as do tokens from modern fruit machines. 

MERMAID Yet another former pub on West Street, Number 46 was close to the present Wheatsheaf. At first 
impressions it is a strange name for a pub in a town so far from the sea but I believe it is a similar 
name to the Dolphin which turns up in Derby for instance. Both dolphins and mermaids were worn or 
carried by pilgrims as good luck charms and pubs along their routes reflected this. This supposition 
is further supported by the fact that the pub is shown on the 1806 town map as being owned by the Church 
Wardens of St. Mary's.  It is listed from 1806 until 1910 during which time there are 15 licensees listed. 
1806 John Court						1828/1829 John Fincher		1833 Henry Tyrrell
1849 Thomas Bench					1862 John Taylor
1874-1886 Alfred Peabody					1887 Christopher Gay
1888-1889 Thomas Hade 1890 John Casey			1891-1894 John Charles Newey
1895 Charles Gunn					1896 A. Seymour
1897-1901 Jesse Buxcey					1902-1903 Mrs. Matthews
1904-1906 Henry S. Harris				1907-1910 Leonard William Gardner 
There is an advert for the pub in the 1897 trade directory when it is featuring beers from Salts Brewery 
which was eventually taken over by Bass. As might be expected for a pub on a main street out of town it 
was a stopping point for the old carrier services. From 1883 to 1887 there were services to Barford and 
Wellesbourne running on Wednesday and Saturdays. From 1888 destinations were no longer listed but services 
continued to run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays right through till 1909. 

MILLWRIGHT ARMS This fine pub still exists at 69 Coten End. It is first listed as a pub in 1880 but the 
fine building is much older and is described in detail in the "Victoria County History". It is "a timber 
framed structure of two stories and attics built circa 1600 or slightly later. The upper floor is jettied 
on exposed joists and the original entrance was at one end of the front wall. The framing is of square 
panels with diagonal struts. A lateral brick chimney stack is contemporary with the house, heating the 
hall at the west end and the room above. At the front of the house the roof slope probably had two dormer 
gables of which only the western one survives. Adjoining the inn at its east end is a lower timber framed 
addition of one bay." Kemp states that this pub had been the St. Nicholas Parish Poorhouse. 
It closed when the Warwick Union Workhouse was established in 1838 in what was known as Union Road, now called Lakin Road.  
It was sold in 1851 by the local Katherine Burton's Charity. By 1857 Thomas Davis a millwright and machinist had set up in 
the building and had established a beerhouse cum waiting room for his customers. A full license was granted on 31st March 1937. 
67 Coten End WARWICK CV34 4NU 
Up till the 1960s there were only 13 licensees listed. 
1880-1895 John Bromwich 					1886-1900 Mrs. Bromwich 
1901-1902 Executors of Mrs. Bromwich 			1903-1904 Miss Bromwich 
1905-1913 Thomas H. Payne 				1914-1919 A.G. Willis 
1920-1921 Mrs. Willis 					1922-1923 Wiliam Castleford 
1924-1938 H. Clamp 					1939-1940 John Henry Key 
1941 John Williams 					1942-1944 Leonard Victor Fitzmaurice 
1945-1953 Mrs. Audrey Beatrice Fitzmaurice 		1956-1959 James A. Summerfield 
After this date the names of licensees are no longer given. It is fairly rare for a pub to pass from one 
member of a family to another but in this case it happens three times and in one case it passes to a 
third member! When the pub was first listed it was a humble beerhouse which was the most basic 
classification, surprising for such a fine property. There is a little confusion around the name of 
this pub which I have yet to get to the bottom of. In Kemp's History of Warwick & its People (1905) 
page 205 it says "Proceeding along Coten End ...... picturesque timbered inn; this was formerly the 
poor house for St. Nicholas parish." I assume this to be the Millwright Arms and it goes on to say 

"Near to this was the Wheelwrights Arms." Kelly's Trade Directory for 1927,1928 and 1929 lists 
Henry G. Clamp at the Wheelwright's. This must surely be the same H. Clamp listed in the other 
Directories so has this pub had two different names or were there once two pubs close to each 
other with similar names? Can anyone help with this one? It seems that Kellys directories were confused 
by these pubs Their entry for Thomas Henry Payne 1908 should have applied to the Millwright Arms not the 
Wheelwright. Likewise Henry George Clamp was at the Millwrights between 1923 and 1941. 
Once again a pub on a main road was used by carriers but surprisingly not for very long. 
They ran between 1907 and 1916 on Tuesdays and Saturdays (except for 1909 when they ran on Wednesdays and Saturdays) 
but destinations were not given. This pub has featured recently in Beer and Ragged Staff when the current landlord 
started his own brewery only to be forced to close it by his new owners Punch Taverns. 
The pub is well worth a visit with two fine rooms full of old timbers and a small cosy snug at the back of the bar. 
The Brew XI and Bass are normally in fine condition and a guest beer is often present. 

MULBERRY TREE This pub was situated at 16 Market Street. It was listed between 1849 and 1907 and had 
10 recorded licensees. 
1849 Mary Mellows 					1874 Thomas Bradley 
1862 Samuel Seabrooke 					1881-1883 John Glynn 
1884-1885 J. Webb 					1886-1890 Joseph Blundal 
1891-1893 William Bollin 				1894-1895 George Jones 
1896-1904 John Cupit 					1905-1907 R. A. Weedin 
Mr. Weedin was still at that address the following year but there was no longer a mention of the pub 
he was now a provisions dealer. J. Webb was also a general dealer while still running the pub again 
showing that a landlord's life was not an easy one. 

MYTON TAVERN The last pub starting with "M" that I have found is also the one I know least about. 
It existed on Myton Street and there is one single entry in the trade directory of 1850 when it was 
run by John Bosworth. I wonder if Myton Street became Myton Road! 





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