These snaps of historic Northampton pubs have been dug up from the archives by local historian Dave Knibb
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 author of 'Last Orders: A History and Directory of Northampton Pubs' - show some of Northampton's historic stomping grounds.
Dave's self-published book has sold more than 2,000 copies. Call 07939990790 or email [email protected] to buy a copy.
Click through our gallery to read Dave’s fascinating historical insights.
Dave's self-published book has sold more than 2,000 copies. Call 07939990790 or email [email protected] to buy a copy.
5. VICTORIA HOTEL – 1 Market Square
Victoria House, which still stands at the entrance to the Market Square was for a brief time, a pub and hotel. John Turner opened the Victoria House pub in 1863, initially in half the building but very soon taking over the entire ground floor. Within a couple of years, he had acquired the upper floors and rechristened it as the Victoria Hotel and although clearly an ambitious man, he paid scant regard to the licencing laws and was repeatedly fined for misdemeanours.
His stock was at its highest in 1868 when Charles Bradlaugh stayed there and gave a speech from a hastily built balcony on the first floor which attracted several hundred people. It all began to unravel though at the end of the year, his application to expand and improve the balcony alerted the authorities to the fact it was illegally built in the first place and he had to remove it completely. By the following June he had gone bankrupt and had to relinquish his licence, jeopardising the whole future of the hotel.
In September though, a widow from Wakefield, Elizabeth Husted, moved to Northampton, bought the business and applied for the lapsed licence to be reissued. It was by no means guaranteed that lapsed licences would be reactivated and the landlord of the next door Trooper pub objected to it but Mrs Husted won the day. The future of the Victoria Hotel was short lived though, Mrs Husted remarried, to Charles Parker who took over the licence but converted the building into an ironmongers in 1873. The licence lived on though, it was retained although not in actual use until it was transferred to a new building destined to become the Victoria on the corner of Poole Street and Military Road. Photo: Dave Knibb
The Flying Horse was in the list of 16th & 17thCentury pubs and was rebuilt after the 1675 Fire. Although it had limited stabling facilities it wasn’t one of the major Inns that were dotted around the area and didn’t specialise in any particular type of trading so was more of a meeting place, an actual pub used simply as a pub, unique in the 1700’s Market Square.
Nothing really changed over the years apart from the landlords until a new one changed its name in February 1867 to the Lord Palmerston who had first became Foreign Secretary in 1830 and had gone on to serve two terms as Prime Minister and died in office in 1865, aged 80. It went on to feature in the election riots in 1874. The Lord Palmerston eventually became the Lamplighter in 1973 before closing in 1980, which at that time, meant that for the first time in the Market Square’s history, it had no pub. Photo: Dave Knibb
The George Hotel may have been the more famous nationally, but the Peacock Hotel is by far and away the most famous and well regarded within Northampton. Although it closed down over 60 years ago, the sense of outrage at its demolition has echoed down the years, through personal accounts, through the many books of Northampton history (no book worth its salt went without a picture of the Peacock) and now through the power of the internet with its vibrant sites dedicated to the past and present of the town.
Although it is assumed that the Peacock first appeared not long after the Market Square was first created in 1235, probability is not proof and we knew little of its history before the 1675 Fire until new documents and deed were discovered in the 1930’s and at last we could start joining the dots. The Peacock closed its doors on the 26th May 1957 and planning permission for a new shopping arcade was refused as the listed building wasn’t part of the development plans. The façade, just like that of the nearby Emporium would form a wonderful backdrop to the 21stCentury Market Square but as we know, it wasn’t to be. The building was left open to the elements until it was beyond repair, permission for its demolition was given and it was pulled down in 1960. Photo: Dave Knibb