Time Gentlemen Please!

Born and bred in Newcastle’s West End were pub culture, or at least some form of drinking, was and is very much a part of daily life, however today you’d be hard pressed to find a ‘local’ pub, the opportunities for popping up the road for a quick pint, having all but disappeared. Even thirty years ago in my youth the choices were limited, not necessarily due to availability but, certain establishments were considered a brave man’s choice, and certainly not somewhere you’d call in uninvited. Back then the ‘Prince of Wales’ and ‘Fox & Hounds’, situated at either extreme of the West Road, would have been considered the only ‘safe’ ports of call - one now trading as an Indian Restaurant and the other, although still operating as a pub, has for my tastes only a token ‘Real Ale’ offering. Now, I can’t say if the pubs of old would have fared any better, but armed with an old OS Map and a copy of Slater’s 1890 Directory, here for posterity is an overview of the establishments within ’staggering distance’ of my own front door, although back then you’d have been returning to a field!


Belgrave Hotel, 1 Belgrave Terrace & 127 Mill Lane

http://www.flickr.com/photos/newcastlelibraries/4080807782/

Swept away in the 1970s’s, at the time of the redevelopment of the nearby Jubilee Estate, the upper terraces of Mill Lane are now flanked by a row of Industrial Units. However, the legacy of its original owner Alexander Laing, a successful Newcastle’ Beer, Wine & Spirit Merchant, lives on in his bequest to the City, ‘The Laing Art Gallery‘ - his 'High-Hopped' India Pale Ale, which in 1854 he offered at 2/6d per dozen pints, certainly sounds a delicious bargain! 

Bentinck Arms, 3 Mill Lane, Elswick

At the time of our enquiry the owner would appear to be one Emanuel Young, with an Annie Child and Kate Lavan shown in the 1891 Census as Worker in Bar and Barmaid respectively. The Pub however didn’t survive long into the 20th century, being replaced by a new building ‘The Portland Arms’ when the Bentinck Estate was built in the 1920’s. Although this remains intact, it ceased to operate as a pub within the last 5 years and now trades as a Turkish Restaurant. 

Benwell Hotel, 1 Cochran Street & Adelaide Terrace

The present building would appear to date to 1901, and although the OS Map doesn’t show the Cochran Street premises as a Public House, the Directory confirms otherwise with a Mrs A. (Ann) Gray at the helm, who in the Census is described as a widowed ’Hotel Proprietor’, living with amongst others her 17 year old son, and both 15 and 13 year old daughters, all of whom are shown as Barman/Barmaids!


Back to the future; the building although empty is currently advertised as To Let for Retail Units, so hopefully it may rise again.  

Chesterfield Arms, Elswick Road

Once the home to the famous ‘Elswick Harriers‘, this is the only pub of our selection which still remains and operates as licensed premises. However, should you choose to pay a visit, being as fleet of foot as those early running club members may be an advantage. Originally a W. B. Reid house, owners of the ‘Leazes Brewery’, its manager in 1891 a John Shipley describes himself as running a ‘Spirit Bar’, so one assumes it’s always been the home to the hard stuff!

Crown Hotel, 4 Ravensworth View, Elswick Road

Sadly, once again nothing remains of this iconic ‘Newcastle Breweries’ pub, I remember its corporate black, cream and red-lined frontage from my youth. Demolished and the site left abandoned since the 1970’s, the only drinking (or worse) now taking place in its vicinity is by underage kids or ‘Lambrinolics’ behind the fenced-off plot - William Martin its original manager must be turning in his grave.




Photo: © Geoff Phillips, 'Old Pubs of Newcastle' 1995   

Mill Inn, 403 Westgate Road (actually 413 Westgate Road)

So we come to are last port of call, and having touched on the ‘Mill Inn’ in an earlier post, (see ‘The Mill Inn . . . and what might have been’), I won’t go round in circles and repeat myself. But, I’m sure if its 1890’s manager James Storey, who as a widow brought up his four children on the premises, would have been shocked by its later repute and subsequent demise. Although, given the means I'm sure we could set the wind in its sails again. 


That’s 5 pubs in less than a ½m, excluding those on Scotswood Road - the walk up the bank would probably do you in anyway, and with much of the land west of Grainger Park Road still being undeveloped at this time, the additional choices which would come (and eventually go), with the building of new housing through to the 1940’s, of course don’t get a mention.

So a little bit of nostalgia; if you would you like to share your memories, have any family anecdotes or even photographs, Rod Coran would love to hear from you - you could start by dropping us a line in the comments section? And, having unearthed in my Grandfather’s papers, extracts of what looks like an early post-war directory for Scotswood Road, with all the Public Houses diligently marked, I feel an overview of the ’Great Pub Crawl’ could also be on the cards. We haven’t quite shouted; ’Time Gentlemen Please’!