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 Northampton's old stomping grounds.
Dave's self-published book has sold more than 2,000 copies. Call 07939990790 or email [email protected] to buy a copy.
1. The Belvedere - St Giles' Street
Dave said: "The Belvedere started life as the Recruiting Sergeant, earliest date, 1793. It could easily have been there for a long while before, maybe under another name, but I could find no trace. The named changed in the Spring of 1875 and it stayed as the Belvedere for over 100 years before changing to the Boot & Shoe, then back to the Belvedere. It was known as Baroque before it closed forever. One little oddity about the Belvedere was that for many years, the living accommodation for the landlord was in the basement and it was only changed in the 1920’s because of frequent flooding." Photo: Dave Knibb
2. The Bear in Sheep Street
Dave said: "The Bear is one of the oldest surviving pubs in Northampton, it was definitely with us in the 1600s, although whether or not it was first built or rebuilt after the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675 isn’t clear. Many of the old ‘Inns’ of Northampton concentrated on the trade of a particular commodity though the Bear seemed to be more of a Travellers Inn, frequented by the ‘buyers’ rather than the ‘sellers’, though its proximity to the Market Square made it an important place. One of the regular coaches that used to travel between London and Northampton stopped off here, which gives a fairly good indication of its standing." Photo: Dave Knibb
3. The Golden Lion in Castle Street
Dave said: "The Golden Lion was trading by 1850, shortly after it was built, Benjamin Hill, the first landlord I could find seemed more upright than many of his colleagues at that time, it was 1860 before he was charged for serving out of hours and even that was caused by his wife. The pub proved to be resilient, during the 20th Century, the whole of the Boroughs went through so many changes, bit by bit the pubs disappeared, dozens of them. Bit by bit the streets disappeared, redeveloped and reconfigured. The area around the Golden Lion was pretty much levelled in the late 1930’s, but the pub survived and actually grew, as the two photos show. Sadly though, it’s now gone, it is now flats and houses." Photo: Dave Knibb
4. The Bull Hotel in Regent Square
Dave said: "The Bull was first mentioned in 1744 in a will by a W Green, so its history as a long standing pub is not in doubt, but it’s impossible to know exactly how old. The Bull officially became the Bull Hotel in the 1880’s and was a prominent landmark to anyone travelling in and out of the town centre right up to its eventual closure at the end of 1984 before being demolished for road widening, in 1985. The end of the Bull slightly overlapped with the beginning of my drinking days, but although I passed it quite often on Friday and Saturday nights, to my great regret, I never went in." Photo: Dave Knibb