Pub & Brewery History

The Nottingham Branch Area has a rich history of brewing and associated activities. In this section of the Branch Website, the Nottingham Branch of CAMRA hopes to bring together useful bits of information for those interested in our pub and brewery heritage.

If you are aware of something relating to Pub and Brewery History which you think might be of interest to other users of this part of our website, please e-mail details to: info@nottinghamcamra.org

 

(1) Useful Books on Local Pubs and Breweries

There are a number of books useful to those interested in knowing more about our local pubs and breweries, including:

(1.1) Books with Local Coverage

(1.1.1) Images of England – Nottingham Pubs; Douglas Whitworth; 2010; The History Press; ISBN 978-0-7524-3243-4

An excellent collection of pub photos from across the Nottingham city area, many from the 1970s. Originally published in 2004 by Tempus Publishing. Annoyingly my copy does not have an index. 

(1.1.2) Time Gentlemen Please – Village Public Houses in South Nottinghamshire in dayes gone by; Bernard V. Heathcote; 2012; Nottinghamshire County Council; ISBN 978-0-902751-73-6

A fascinating history of the pubs in the Eastern villages of Gedling (Bulcote, Burton Joyce, Calverton, Lambley & Woodborough) and South Western Newark & Sherwood (Caythorpe, Epperstone, Gonalston, Gunthorpe, Lowdham & Oxton).

(1.1.3) Southwell Inns & Alehouses; Roger Dobson; 2008; Nottinghamshire County Council; ISBN 978-0902751-60-6

A well laid out, comprehensively illustrated and thoroughly informative volume on the history of Southwell’s pubs.

(1.1.4) Newark – The Magic of Malt; Newark Civic Trust, edited by Peter Stephens; Nottinghamshire; November 1993; Nottinghamshire County Council;  ISNB 0-900943-48-3  

An essential resource for the history of Newarks’ malting history. 

(1.1.5) Newark – The Bounty of Beer; Brenda M. Pask; 1997; Nottinghamshire County Council and Newark & Sherwood District Council; ISBN 0-902751-18-2

A companion volune to “Newark – The Magic of Malt” which documents the brewing history of Newark. 

(1.1.6) Viewing the Lifeless Body – A Coroner and his inquests held in Nottinghamshire Public Houses during the Nineteenth Century 1828 to 1866; Bernard V Heathcote; 2005; Nottinghamshire County Council; ISBN 0 902751 51 4.

A fascinating look at one of the key public services once performed by our public houses as venues for coroners courts and the jury’s viewing of the key piece of evidence, the body of the deceased.

(1.1.7) The Inns & Pubs of Nottinghamshire – The stories behind the names, Brian J. Curtis & Gordon Wright; 1995; Nottinghamshire County Council

The definitive guide to the County’s pub names.

(1.1.8) Nottinghamshire Inn Signs; Geoffrey Oldfield; 1998; The Musters Press ISBN 0 9532892 0 6.

A pictoral guide to a large number of our pub signs as they were in the late 1990s.

(1.1.9) Nottinghamshire Inns & Pubs – on old picture postcards; David Ottewell; 1990; Reflections of a Bygone Age; ISBN 0 946245 31 2

Volume one (yellow cover) of a two part collection of photos of Nottinghamshire pubs on old postcards. Number 1 in the “Yesterday’s Nottinghamshire” series.

(1.1.10) Nottinghamshire Inns & Pubs – on old picture postcards; David Ottewell; 1996; Reflections of a Bygone Age; ISBN 9781900138147

Volume two (green cover) of a two part collection of photos of Nottinghamshire pubs, mostly from the South and the East of the County, on over 60 old postcards. Number 31 in the “Yesterday’s Nottinghamshire” series.

(1.1.11) Nottinghamshire Family History Society Volume 94 – Alehouse Recognizances

A compilation of the surviving Alehouse Recognizances, or bonds, given by alehouse keepers in the town of Nottingham and their guarantors for the mid-18th century. An excellent record of what the town’s pubs were called, the publicans who ran them and the citizens who were prepared to back them. 

If you know of any examples of similar books on local pubs and breweries from the Nottingham Branch Area not included above, please let us know by e-mail via info@nottinghamcamra.org.

(1.2) Books with National Coverage

(1.2.1) A Dictionary of Pub Names; Leslie Dunkling & Gordon Wright; 1987; Routledge & Kegan Paul Limited, London

Also published as:

(1.2.2) The Wordsworth Dictionary of Pub Names; Leslie Dunkling & Gordon Wright; 1994; Wordsworth Editions Limited, Ware; ISBN 1-85326-334-6

An excellent introduction to the world of pub names with many examples from the Nottingham area.

(1.2.3) English Inn and Tavern Names; Barrie Cox; 1994; Centre for English Name Studies, University of Nottingham; ISBN 0-952-534-304

An analysis of the information concerning the names of public houses available from the research undertaken by the English Place Name Society upto the mid-1990s. A serious attempt to put pub names into a historical context which is also a surprisingly easy read. Some Nottingham examples with a detailed analysis of Rutland pub names.

(1.2.4) Ye Olde Good Inn Guide; James Monroe & Paul Nero; 2013; The History Press; ISBN 978-0-7524-8061-9

An amusing read which purports to be a Tudor traveller’s guide “to the Nation’s Finest Taverns”. The usual ancient suspects from Nottingham.

If you know of any examples of similar books on national pub and brewery history with extracts covering the Nottingham Branch Area not included above, please let us know by e-mail via info@nottinghamcamra.org.

(1.3) CAMRA Books

(1.3.1) Real Heritage Pubs of the Midlands – Pub Interiors of Special Historic Interest; Paul Ainswortth (Editor); 2015; Campaign for Real Ale; ISBN 978 1 85249 324 0

A review of Midland pub interiors of historic interest, including a number from the Branch Area: the Vale Hotel (Daybrook); Gate (Awsworth); Crown (Beeston); Victoria (Beeston); Black Horse (Caythorpe); Cuckoo Bush (Gotham); Peacock (Nottingham); Salutation (Nottingham); Dale (Sneinton); Lord Nelson (Sneinton); March Hare (Sneinton); Admiral Rodney (Wollaton); Embankment (Nottingham); Queen’s Head (Watnall); Test Match Hotel (West Bridgford).

Sadly, the pace of change in recent years means a number of entries are now out of date. The Five Ways (Nottingham) and the Oxclose (Arnold) are no longer public houses and the Three Horseshoes (East Leake) and the White Lion (Rempstone) have recently had their historic interiors ripped out.

(1.3.2) Britain’s Best Real Heritage Pubs; Geoff Brandwood; 2013; Campaign for Real Ale; ISBN 978-1-85249-304-2

An review of pub interiors of outstanding historic interest, only four from Nottinghamshire make the grade. Sadly one of those, the Five Ways, is no longer a public house.

If you know of any examples of similar books by CAMRA with entries relevant to the history of the Nottingham Branch Area not included above, please let us know by e-mail via info@nottinghamcamra.org.

(1.4) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Being a Series of Extracts from the Archives of the Corporation of Nottingham

In the late 19th Century, the Corporation of Nottingham was far-sighted enough to recognise the historic value of many of the old douments in its posession and published a series of volumes of extracts from the town’s archives. There are regular references to brewing and drinking over the years, showing that issues surrounding the excessive consumption of alcohol and consumer rights are far from being new problems for the civic authorities.

These volumes were published in Nottingham by Thomas Forman & Sons and in London by Bernard Quaritch of 15 Piccadilly. The Town Clerks responsible were Samuel George Johnson, J.A.H. Green and W.J.Board.

The copies below have been made by Google Book Search from original copies held by the University of Michigan. The original copies are long out of copyright and are therefore in the public domain.

(1.4.1) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume I – King Henry II to King Richard II – 1155 to 1399

Published in 1882 in Nottingham by Thomas Forman & Sons and in London by Bernard Quaritch of 15, Piccadilly; Edited by W.Henry Stevenson with latin translations by the Rev. Canon James Raine of York Minster; Town Clerk Samuel George Johnson.

https://archive.org/details/recordsboroughn08enggoog

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(1.4.2) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume II – 1399 to 1485



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(1.4.3) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume III – King Henry VII to King Henry VIII – 1485 to 1547

Published in 1885; Edited by W.Henry Stevenson with latin translations by the Rev. Canon James Raine of York Minster.

https://archive.org/details/recordsboroughn14enggoog

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(1.4.4) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume IV – 1547 to 1625


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(1.4.5) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume V – King Charles I to King William III – 1625 to 1702

Published in 1900; Edited by W. H. Baker.

https://archive.org/details/recordsboroughn06enggoog

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(1.4.6) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume VI – 1702 to 1760

Published in 1914 by Thos. Forman & Sons of Nottingham; Edited by Everard Leaver Guilford. Town Clerk W.J.Board with a forward by the former Town Clerk, J.A.H. Green.

https://archive.org/details/recordsofborough06nott

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(1.4.7) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume VII – 1760 to 1800

Published in 1947 by;  Edited by Duncan Grey and Violet W. Walker; Town Clerk J.E.Richards. 

(1.4.8) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume VIII – 1800 to 1835

Published in 1952 by Thos. Forman & Sons Ltd. of Nottingham; Edited by  Duncan Grey and Violet W. Walker; Town Clerk T.J. Owen. Copied by theUniversity of California Libraries.

https://archive.org/details/recordsofborough08nott

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(1.4.9) Records of the Borough of Nottingham – Volume IX – 1836 to 1900

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(2) The Brewing Industry – Strategy for the Historic Industrial Environment

In February 2010, the Brewery History Society produced a report for English Heritage which provided (i) an analysis of the English brewing industry and its buildings; (ii) a Gazetteer of Extant Historic Brewery Buildings and (iii) commentary on how to manage the resource. A very useful document for understanding what remains of Nottinghamshire’s brewing heritage and placing it in a national context. 





 

(3) Maltings

An often overlooked part of the brewing process, the prodution of malt from barley was a major agricultural industry in Nottinghamshire.

(3.1) Listed Maltings Buildings

(3.1.1) Hutchinson’s Maltings, Alpine Street – (Now flats)

Grade II (No.1271478) listed maltings, listed 24th November 1986.

“Maltings, now flats. 1899. Red brick with ashlar dressings. Roofs stripped. 3 storeys plus attics; 5 x 7 bays. Street front has a coped gable with kneelers, and openings with ashlar sills and lintels set in recessed panels rising through 3 floors. In the gable, 5 segment-headed iron glazing bar casements, with 3 similar oval windows above them, all with keystones. Above again, 2 oval windows and a shield dated 1899. North-west front has 7 bays each with 3 segment-headed openings set in full-height recessed panels. Central bay has an ornate wooden gabled lucam, 2 storeys. On the roof, 2 rows of 3 wooden gabled dormers. Beyond, former kilns, 3 bays, now raised and with flat roofs. This building was originally the maltings to the nearby Hutchinson’s Prince of Wales Brewery (qv).” [Historic England]. Responsible Local Authority: – Nottingham City Council.

(3.1.2) Hardy & Hanson’s Brewery Maltings, Hardy Street, Kimberley

Grade II (No.1392976) listed maltings, listed 5th November 2008.

“The maltings at the former Hardy and Hanson’s Brewery at Kimberley in Nottinghamshire is designated for listing at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* It is a well-preserved late C19 example of a traditional floor maltings built as part of an integrated brewery complex, and retaining clear evidence of all stages in the production of malt for brewing. 

* The maltings retains the robust and distinctive architectural features which have characterised the building type throughout its historic phases of development from the C17 to the C20.

* The complex retains the majority of the characteristic interior features of a floor maltings , including its growing floors supported by rows of columns, and 4 malt kilns with perforated tile drying floors, furnaces and cellars.

 The building is the most important survival from a noted brewery, located in a town (and county) renowned for its brewing history.

Erected in 1861 and designed by William Grace for the former Hardy’s Brewery

MATERIALS: Red brick with slate coverings to the kiln and growing floor roofs. Some parts of the latter have been replaced by C20 corrugated sheeting. 

EXTERIOR: The malting kilns stands on Hardy Street with each of the four kilns occupying two bays of the road frontage range. The bays are delineated by plain pilasters and give a panel and pier appearance to the Hardy Street elevation. A further four bays extend north-westwards beyond the kiln range, its northern gable now modified and its upper part clad in corrugated sheeting. The kilns have barred openings to their upper level, and entrances to cellars at ground level, through which fuel for the kilns could be unloaded. The growing floor ranges extend at right angles south-westwards from the kilns, and comprise two parallel ranges – there are two kilns for each range. Each range is three stories high and eight full bays in length, with half bays to either end and a further full bay at the south-west end, below a gabled hoist canopy. Each bay has tiered openings to all floors, some have now been blocked or modified in size, but the pattern of the original disposition of openings can still be clearly seen. A loading bay has been constructed against the south-west elevation, together with a wide canopy to the right of centre. To the left of this is an inserted first floor double doorway and access stair. 

INTERIOR: Internally the kilns and growing floors are little altered, and are of conventional form, with low floor-to ceiling heights, and long timber bridging beams of pine (one with an export mark dated 1857) supported on two rows of slender metal columns set on padstones. The front and rear wall openings have wooden horizontal sliding shutters, which allow some regulation of the air flow across the growing floors. The stairs are at the south-west end of the growing floors, as were the former barley steeps, which survive in part. The kilns are little altered structurally, and retain their furnaces within furnace cellars. The drying floors are formed of perforated ceramic tiles supported on webs of metal beams. One pair of kilns has a dividing wall between the drying floor areas; the other is a double kiln with an in-situ mechanical grain turner. HISTORY: Kimberley was the home to two major brewery developments in the late C19, and the surviving brewery buildings remain a major presence in the heart of the settlement. The development of the brewing industry at Kimberley began in 1846 when Stephen Hanson and a local maltster, John Tomlinson built a new brewery in the town. In 1861, William and Thomas Hardy commissioned the architect William Grace of Burton upon Trent to design a new ‘ten quarter brewery’ with maltings, brewhouse, ale bottling and cask filling cellars, wine and spirit stores, workshops, cooperage, offices and stables. It is the maltings built as part of this site that is the building in question here. The two brewery sites continued to develop and expand throughout the C19 and early C20. A notable phase of development occurred in 1876, when a new range of floor maltings, designed by a Mr Bailey of Newark, were added to Hardy’s Brewery. Later, in 1882, a new range of brewery buildings designed by Robert Grace were built on the four acre site, including new fermenting rooms, a large malt store, a new aerated water plant, offices, brewers’ laboratory and workshops for carpenters, wheelwrights and blacksmiths. In 1880, the Midland Railway opened a line through Kimberley, and both breweries developed private sidings. In 1890, a new enlarged Hanson’s Brewery was completed, adjacent to the Hardy’s site, to the designs of the specialist brewery architect William Bradford, with a 6 storey brewery tower as its centrepiece. The two breweries remained as competitors until 1930 when they merged, and soon afterwards, in 1932, brewing ceased on the Hanson site. Further development of the Hardy site continued throughout the C20, as demands for different products were met, and brewing technology changed in response to the demand for keg beer. The Hardy’s brewery maltings remained in production until the mid- C20 and was then adapted for other uses. In 1973 the core buildings of Hanson’s Brewery were demolished, leaving a small number of minor buildings on the periphery of the site. As explained above, the purchase of Hardy and Hanson’s by the Greene King company was followed by the cessation of brewing and the closure of the site in 2006.

SOURCES: Patrick A. The Strategy for the Historic Industrial Environment Report (SHIER) Maltings In England (English Heritage) 2004″

[Historic England]. Responsible Local Authority:- Broxtowe Borough Council.

(3.2) Beeston Maltings

About Beeston Maltings Brewery

 

(4) Breweries

Nottingham and its surrounding area has a long tradition of brewing which has left a number of historic brewing industry buildings.

(4.1) Listed Brewery Buildings

There are a number of historic brewery and other associated drinks industry buildings in the Nottingham Branch Area, including: 

(4.1.1) Hutchinson’s Prince of Wales Brewery, Alpine Street, Basford – (Now JJ Murphy & Sons Limited). 

Grade II (No.1246246) listed brewery, later chemical factory, listed 24th November 1986.

” Formerly known as: Hutchinson’s Prince of Wales Brewery ALPINE STREET. Brewery, later chemical factory. 1881. Red brick, with terracotta and ashlar dressings. Plain tile roofs with ornate ridge tiles and finials. Blue brick chamfered plinth, major cornice and eaves cornice. Windows are mainly segment-arched casements with glazing bars, renewed. EXTERIOR: main front 10 bays, arranged 3:4:3. Central brewing tower, 5 storeys, has a central round-arched cart entrance, 2 storeys. Moulded arch, imposts and bracket keystone, carrying a cornice with matching brackets at the ends. On each side, single windows, linked to those above by recessed panels with segmental heads and keystones. Above, 4 windows, and above again, 4 windows with segmental heads and keystones. Above again, a central round-headed window with terracotta surround, set in an ornate gable. On each side, smaller windows. Hipped roof topped by a square louvred lantern with leaded ogee roof. To left, a slightly lower block, 5 storeys, with 2 pairs of segment-headed windows to the ground floor and above, 3 larger windows, all with keystones. Above again, 3 windows, and above them, 3 windows divided by stone mullions into cross casements, with pediments. Above again, 3 flat-headed windows, 3-lights. Hipped roof topped with a square louvred ventilator with a small louvred gable. At the rear, a 4 storey range with half-hipped roof, and in the return angle, an ornate wooden hoist tower. To left again, a single storey block with 2 pairs of segment-arched windows. Hipped roof with square louvred lantern. To right, engine house, 2 storeys, with hipped roof topped by a square louvred lantern. 2 bays to right, under a pediment, have flat-headed windows to the ground floor and above, segment-arched windows with keystones. Single bay to left with similar fenestration. To right, a chimney stack with square base, 2 storeys, with blind panels topped by moulded imposts and round arches with keystones. Above, a tall octagonal chimney with moulded base and iron reinforcing straps. INTERIOR retains the original brewery layout, though almost none of the original brewery fittings survives. Originally Hutchinson’s Prince of Wales Brewery, bought by the Home Brewery Co. Ltd in 1916, and to Murphy’s Ltd. in 1921.” [Historic England]. Responsible Local Authority: – Nottingham City Council.

Listing NGR: SK5499342972

(4.1.2) Home Brewery Offices & Attached Railings, Mansfield Road, Daybrook

Grade II (No.1237602) listed brewery offices, listed 18th August 1993.

“Home Ales Brewery Offices and attached railing II Brewery office building and water tower. 1936. Designed for Home Ales Brewery by T. Cecil Howitt. Steel framed with brick cladding with ashlar dressings. Main west front has central very large ashlar faced square arched lorry entrance, with ornate iron gates with gilded lettering eitherside are single panel doorways with octagonal bronze lamps above. Over the arch in raised lettering “HOME BREWERY COMPANY LIMITED”. Above a large Diocletian window with brick mullions and metal framed casements. Above a very tall square tower, slightly battered with pairs of stripped pilaster buttresses on each face with a small pantile hood, above a tall brick parapet with ashlar coping. The side faces have raised lettering “HOME OF THE BEST ALES”. Eitherside 12 bay flanking 2 storey office wings with a deep basement faced in ashlar. Above both floors have windows with metal frames set back with painted relief panels between, and flanked by plain brick piers and continuous ashlar cill band. Above a tall ashler parapet with ashlar coping. Above a set back attic storey faced in ashlar with 4 metal frame windows to each side with banded ashlar parapet. At the front to the street a low brick wall with ashlar parapet with iron railings and piers.” [Historic England]. Responsible Local Authority:- Gedling Borough Council.

Listing NGR: SK5798444938

(4.1.3) Brewhouse, Crewyard & Mill Barn at Hall Farm, Linby

Grade II* (No.1265319) listed brewhouse and other farm buildings, listed 27th April 1997.

“Brewhouse, crewyard and mill barn at Hall Farmhouse G.V. II* Brewhouse, crewyard and mill barn. Late C18. Coursed and squared rubble and brick with plain tile and asbestos cement and pantile roofs. Dressed stone quoins. Coped south gable. External side wall stack. Single and 2 storeys plus attics. 5 bays wide by 7 bays deep. C-plan. Windows are Yorkshire sashes and casements. Brewhouse has to west, off-centre casement flanked to left by door and to right by sash. Above, 2 square hatches. North gable has to left, altered brick and stone stair and above, close boarded door. Above again, central casement. South gable has central door and above, central attic casement. Crewyard has on east side stables, 7 bays, with to left, 2 doors. To their right, 3 stable doors. To right again, 2 blocked casements. Mill barn has to south, to left, door flanked by single casements. To right, stable door and casement. West gable has rubble stair with kennel below, and above, doorway. North side has to left, late C20 concrete block addition. To its right, door. Above, to left, blocked opening. To right, large pitching eye flanked by single casements. East gable rebuilt in brick mid C19, has adjoining coursed rubble wheel pit containing mid-C19 breast shot iron water wheel. 2 blind recesses with segmental heads. Above, casement with segmental head. Interior has timber ladder, reed and plaster floors and restored C18 principal rafter roof with butt purlins, struts and wind braces. East end contains a pair of mill stones with ancillary equipment and chaff cutter. This machinery is complete and in use.” [Historic England]. Responsible Local Authority:- Gedling Borough Council.

Listing NGR: SK5338051135

(4.2) Local Brewery History from Brewery Websites

Some of our comparatively recent Breweries have web pages devoted to the story of their own development and are well worth a read:

(4.2.1) Castle Rock Brewery: http://www.castlerockbrewery.co.uk/heritage/

(4.2.2) Caythorpe Brewery: http://caythorpebrewery.co.uk/history.html

(4.2.3) Nottingham Brewery: 

If you know of any examples of similar local brewery history webpages from the Nottingham Branch Area not included above, please let us know by e-mail via info@nottinghamcamra.org.

(4.3) Alfred Barnard’s “The Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland”

Alfred Barnard (1837 – 1918) was a Kensington grocer who later became secretary of Harper’s Weekly Gazette. In this capacity he visited the UK’s distilleries to produce a book on the Whisky Distilleries of the United Kingdom. He followed this (1889-1891) by visiting the country’s breweries to produce the four volume work “The Noted Breweries of Great Britiain & Ireland”. Barnard gives details of a number of breweries in the Nottingham Branch Area and the wider region. Trinity College, Dublin has produced pdf versions of its copies and made them available on the internet. The original works were published in London by Sir Joseph Causton and Sons and are now out of copyright.

(4.3.1) The Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland Volume 1 (1889)

Includes Nottingham Brewery Limited, R.G.Hanson of Kimberley, J. Hole & Co. Ltd and R. Warwick and Sons, both of Newark. Also the Sheffield brewers T.Berry & Co. Ltd, Tennant Bros. Limited, T. Rawson & Co, T. Marrian & Co. Ltd and Truswell’s Brewery Co. Ltd.

Click on the image to view the document.

(4.3.2) The Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland Volume 2 (1889)

Includes the Burton brewers Ind, Coope & Co. Ltd, A.B.Walker & Sons, Salt & Co, Peter Walker (Trustees of), J. Eadie, Bindley & Co. and Marston & Co.

Click on the image to view the document.

(4.3.3) The Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland Volume 3 (1890)

Includes the Burton brewers Bass & Co, Allsopp  & Sons, Truman, Hanbury, Buxton & Co, Charrington & Co, Mann, Crossman & Paulin, Worthington & Co and Meakin Brothers (Maltings).

(4.3.4) The Noted Breweries of Great Britain & Ireland Volume 4 (1891)

Includes T. Hardy of Kimberley, J. Shipstone & Sons of New Basford, City Brewery Co. Ltd and the Trent Valley Brewery Co. Ltd both of Lichfield, A.H. Smith & Co. of Sheffield and W. Whitmarsh & Co. of Sheffield Moor.

Click on the image to view the document.

(5) Defunct Brewery Livery

Often driven or walked past without stopping, there is still a surprising amount of old brewery signage and other livery on older buildings. Often in the form of faded advertisements or old pub signage. The Brewery History Society’s website contains a very useful County – by – County guide to surviving examples an the in formation for Nottingham may be found at: http://www.breweryhistory.com/Defunct/Notts.htm

An abridged version of this information as at the 10th April 2017 is available here. Click on the image to view document. 

If you know of any examples of similar defunct brewery livery in the Nottingham Branch Area not included in the above list, please let us know by e-mail via info@nottinghamcamra.org.

(6) Local Pub History on Websites

There are a number of local history group websites which contain very useful information for those interested in local pub history and the communities which they served. The depth and quality of the research and presentation varies but they represent an excellent starting point for further research.

There are also a number of local history groups which do not have active websites and further details for some of these may be found on Nottingham City Council’s “NOTTLOG – Nottingham’s Local Organisations and Groups” at http://open.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/library/nonedir.asp?n=HOME_PAGE.

If you are aware of a local history website, or a pub website history page, not covered below and you think it should be, please let us know by e-mailing us at: info@nottinghamcamra.org


(6.1) History Pages on Local History Society Websites:

Arnold Local History Group:

Including a page on the wanton destruction of the 1828-built Druid’s Tavern in 2009.

Beeston & District Local History Society:

Beeston History Website (Dave Hallam):

This website has the start of an excellent series of pub histories but unfortunately they do not seem to nave been completed.

Inns & Pubs in Beeston
Boat & Horses and the Crown Inn
Jolly Angler
Queen’s Hotel
Royal Oak

Bramcote History Group:

Burton Joyce & Bulcote Local History Society:

Includes a page on Pub Walks from Burton Joyce with local history.

East Leake & District Local History Society:

Gotham & District Local History Society:

This society seems to have merged what was its own website with the village / parish website and in doing so seems to have lost several interesting pub histories.

Keyworth & District Local History Society:

Rather confusingly, at the time of writing (8th Dec 2017), this group had two quite different websites, the second being: http://www.keyworth-history.org.uk.

Lambley Historical Society:

This website includes several interesting old photos of pubs in the village and copies of the society’s annual newsletter going back to 2004. Was the Traveller’s Rest a pub?

Lenton Local History Society:

The Lenton Times is the excellent magazine / newsletter of the particularly impressive Lenton Local History Society.

There are a number of very interesting pub related articles but unfortunately most back issues must be purchased. These are relatively inexpensive but researchers are advised to check the Local Studies Library for research copies.

Articles of interest include: 

The White Hart – Pleasure Grounds & Prison (Issue No. 37 December 2016)
Bag O’Nails – Origins as a 1901 building for the Midland Counties Bank Limited (Issue No. 32 December 2012) 
Sir Thomas Shipstone of Lenton Firs (Issue No. 28 November 2009)
Picture Inn the Past – Canadian discovers her GGF was landlord of the Three Wheatsheaves (Issue No. 22 April 2005)
Travellers’ Rest Public House (Issue No. 20 October 2003)
Johnson Arms – Our Sponsor’s Story (Issue No. 16 October 2000)

Sold-out issues are now available free on-line and include the following articles:

The Story of the Rose & Crown (Issue 3 1989)
Back to the Rose & Crown (Issue 3 1989)
The Hillside Malting (Issue 3 1989)
The Boat Inn – our sponsor’s story (Issue 6 1991)
More About the Boat (Issue 6 1991)

West Bridgford & District Local History Society: 

Woodborough Heritage:

(6.2) History Pages on Pub’s Own Websites:

Company Inn – J.D. Wetherspoon in former Trent Navigation Company canal warehouse
Gooseberry Bush – J.D. Wetherspoon on site of former maternity hospital
Joseph Else – J.D. Wetherspoon 
Lloyds No. 1 Bar – J.D. Wetherspoon in former bank
Plough Inn, Radford – 1865 rebuild of an earlier pub now belonging to Nottingham Brewery
Roebuck Inn – J.D. Wetherspoon in a former townhouse
Victoria, Beeston – a history timeline for an independent pub which started out as an 1899 commercial hotel


If you know of any examples of similar pub history webpages from the Nottingham Branch Area not included above, please let us know by e-mail via info@nottinghamcamra.org.

(6.3) Other Local Organisations

There are a number of other local organistions which may be of interest to those interested in th Branch Area and its pubs:

(6.3.1) Beeston & District Civic Society

A well-structured website with a very useful Pocket Map of Beeston which includes a number of pubs and a free guide to the Broxtowe Blue Plaques.

(6.3.2) Nottingham Civic Society

Founded in 1962, Nottingham Civic Society is a group which focusses on caring about the City and being dedicated to make it a better place in which to live, to work and relax. The Nottingham Civic Society aims to preserve and enhance the character of the City by advising and campaigning on the historic areas, buildings and public spaces, encouraging good design in new developments and regeneration areas and promoting sustainability and quality of life.

(6.3.3) 20th Century Society

A simple website from a group devoted to protecting 20th century architecture in the East Midlands, including pubs.

(6.3.4) Victorian Society

A group devoted to protecting our local Victorian and Edwardian heritage, including pubs. Sadly there doesn’t currently seem to be a Nottingham Branch and the nearest local group is based in Leicester.