1880 Swan Beerhouse
This building today (2019) is the home of Castle Antiques, opposite the Library, so-called in memory of Vic Castle, who ran his dairy there in the 1950s. The building has an interesting history, having started out as the ‘Swan Beerhouse’ owned by William Finnis Watkins’ Swan Brewery at the bottom of Hosey Hill. Beerhouses had a simple licence granted for the sale of beer and cider alongside soft drinks, but no wine or spirits.
Following the opening of the railway in 1881, Watkins obtained a large site opposite the railway station where he proposed to build a large hotel to be called ‘The Crown’. His application to the magistrate for a full licence was strongly opposed by Nalder & Collyer who owned licences for the George & Dragon and the Grasshopper on the Green. With a danger of his licence being refused, Watkins terminated the licence on the Swan Beerhouse, at which point his licence application for The Crown was duly granted!
The little Swan stopped selling beer and reopened as a temperance coffee house instead!
No Comments
Add a comment about this page