PICTURES: Take a look back at 10 long-lost Northampton pubs and the history behind them
These snaps of long-lost Northampton pubs have been dug up from the archives by local historian Dave Knibb
By Logan MacLeod
Published 18th Feb 2022, 14:30 GMT
Updated 18th Feb 2022, 15:40 GMT
So many fondly-remembered Northampton pubs have shut their doors over the years but are still in the memories of their customers.
These photos - researched by Dave Knibb, the Northampton author of 'Last Orders: A History and Directory of Northampton Pubs' - show some of the town's old stomping grounds.
Do you remember stopping for a drink in any of them?
Dave's self-published book has sold more than 2,000 copies. To buy a copy, phone 07939990790 or email [email protected].
1. Victoria Tavern in Kingsthorpe Road
Dave said: "The Victoria Tavern sat on the junction of St Andrew’s Road. The buildings down towards that corner were built in 1861. In August 1862, the ‘very eligible’ Victoria Tavern was for sale, complete with its own bowling alley and stables and soon established itself as the busiest pub in the immediate area although it could never compete with the Halfway House with its gardens and sports events, which was further up the hill on the way to Kingsthorpe. It came over as a well run, well respected pub, right up to its end in 1976 when it was demolished for the junction to be widened."
Dave said: "This entry comes under the King Billy, a fairly recent name, but a nickname for many, many years. The King William IV is a fine old name, but it wasn’t the pubs first and as everyone has known it as the King Billy, the modern name is only right and proper. After 1840, the pub had a couple of different landlords but was available again in 1844, the landlord moving to London and it being stressed that was the only reason why, nothing to do with lack of trade, which was the real reason. In 1845 the whole place was being sold off. Thankfully, it was bought, lock, stock and barrel and became the Travelling Scotchman (not Travelling Scotsman).
In 1864 it changed landlord and name to the King William IV and from being a fairly middling and struggling place, it steadily grew in trade, so much so that when the culls began at the turn of the 20thCentury, the King William IV was never put forward as a candidate. Great pub, great history, hopefully a great future, if any pub can have that in these uncertain t
Dave said: "The Stag was on the corner of Grafton Street and Lower Grafton Street and opened around 1834. Having an entrance on both streets meant that one half could be run as a pub and the other half as a grocery shop as one business but two separate entities. It changed hands quite a few times in its short life. One of its last landlords was Robert Elmer who left in 1852 but never left the area. He went on to run the Harding Street Tavern, as well as another grocer’s, a boot & shoe factory and ended up owning eleven houses in Upper Harding Street. The last landlord, W M Manning, sold off the contents and left Northampton in 1855 and it became just a corner shop."
Dave said: "The Half-Way House was exactly that, not quite in Kingsthorpe, not quite fully in Kingsthorpe Hollow. In my younger days I never considered it to be a Kingsthorpe pub although I know others did. The earliest date I could find was from 1839 and although it would be an ideal place for an Inn on the way towards Northampton, I don’t think it dated from much before then. It really came to prominence in the 1860’s when the area behind it was developed into quite substantial gardens, in a similar way to Franklin’s Gardens. By the late 1870’s it had a running track of some repute which was also used for cycling and dog racing. Sadly, the war saw an end to all that, the grounds fell into disrepair and were sold off for development and the Half-Way House’s fortunes waned along with them, becoming ‘just’ an ordinary pub once again. It finally closed down and was demolished."