Pubs, Hotels and Restaurants - 3

Also see
Historic Pubs - A to D
Historic Pubs - E to L
Historic Pubs - M to R
Historic Pubs - S to Z

West Quarter Pubs
Sidwell Street Pubs

About Pub Signs
The 1830 Beer House Act

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Admiral (Vernon) Inn *
Amber Rooms *
Artful Dodger 
Bear Inn *
Bishop Blaize *
Black Horse Inn *
Bowling Green
Bridge Inn
Bude Hotel / Old London *
Cavern Club
Chevalier Inn
City Gate Hotel *
Coachmakers Arms
Cowick Barton
Deller's Cafe *
Devonport Arms
Drakes *
Dolphin Inn/Tap & Barrel *
Double Locks Hotel *
Duke of York
Eagle Tavern *
Fat Pig
George's Meeting House *
Ginos Restaurant
Globe Inn - Clifton Road
Globe Hotel - Topsham
Globe Hotel - Cathedral Yard
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Golden Lion
Great Western Hotel
Green Gables Inn
Hansons Tea Rooms
Half Moon Hotel *
Harry's *
Heavitree *
Hog's Head *
Honiton Inn
Horse and Dray
Horse and Groom *
Hotel Barcelona *
Hotel Windsor/Bonhay House
Hour Glass Inn

The Malthouse - Haven Road

This pub and family restaurant is situated in an old Malthouse that dates back to the 18th-century. Brewing was well established in Exeter, probably because of the proximity of the ingredients to make beer and a growing urban population. At its height, there were 15 breweries in the city.

A brewery and cellar were built in 1789 by the St Thomas' Brewery. The original building was a basic rectangle in design, with one long side built as a convex wall. Three parallel, tiled roofs were built over. Two years later, a malthouse was added to the straight, long side of the original brewery.

Producing Malt

Malt is an important ingredient in the brewing process. Grain is slowly dried in store, before being steeped in water for two to three days and spread over a frame to begin gemination - this is when the starch in the grain is converted into maltose. The germination takes four to five days in a cool atmosphere. The sprouted grain is then heated in a malt kiln, which halts the germination and dries the grain to between 3 to 6% moisture. The last process is removing the tiny rootlets that sprouted in the germination.

Both brewing and malting continued in the enlarged complex and in 1833 the whole was incorporated into the City Brewery. By 1850, brewing had ceased and malting had taken over the whole of the premises.

In 1876 two small conical malting kilns were installed in the building on the opposite side to the river bank. Extra floors were also added internally. In 1900 three larger conical malting kilns were built, one replacing one of the 1876 kilns. The kilns were finally closed in September 1949.

Before the building was converted into a family pub, it was used as a bonded warehouse for a time. In 1989, Lovell Urban Renewal of Swindon submitted plans to turn the building into a hotel. In the event it was in 1995, that Exeter Archeology investigated the site before Brewers Fayre took it over. The main bar, eating areas and children's area are housed in the original maltsters built in 1791.

North Bridge Inn - 6 St David's Hill

Situated on Exeter's Iron Bridge, the North Bridge Inn serves the St David's Hill community. In White's Devonshire Directory of 1850, one Samuel Gubb was the registered licensee of the North Bridge Tavern. He was married and had five children - 3 girls and 2 boys.

White's also list John Chalk as the licensee in 1878. According to the 1897 Kelly's Directory, Alfred Delve was listed as the landlord. The 1901 census lists Delve, his wife Anne, and two sons and a daughter - Annie Delve, went on to run the pub in 1919. There are many pubs that were run by wives after their husband had died or left, at this time. By 1923 James L Bennet was running the North Bridge. The last landlord that I have traced was F A W Easterbrook in 1956.

The pub is now noted for playing hip hop and funk and has a lively clientele.

Oddfellows', New North Road

This public house is one that I often pass without noticing. Situated opposite the Old Fire House, and just beneath Northernhay Park it is located at the end of a block of seven terraces built in the 1840's and named Albert Terrace, after Prince Albert.

It is not known when the Oddfellows' public house was established. The earliest reference can be found in 1862 when William Nosworthy, the landlord from the Oddfellows' Arms was married. It is certain that it was named the Oddfellows' Arms, after the Oddfellows Friendly Society that had previously occupied the premises. The Society was first established in Exeter during 1845 and there is an Oddfellows Hall next to St Martins Church in Catherine Street. Oddfellows Friendly Societies were established in the 18th century to help working men and women - they were a sort of working man's Freemasons, but without the secrecy. In 1871 the landlord was listed as

   Norsworthy, W., odd-fellows' arms p.h.., new north-road.

The next landlord listed is Abraham Waldron who appears in White's 1878 directory. The 1897 Kelly's Directory lists Daniel Jackman as the landlord, who continued until at least 1923. Basil K Comins ran the Oddfellows in 1956.

It was in the mid-1990's that the pub was renamed The Gate and opened as Exeter's first and only cider-only bar. Then The Gate closed and it became an Irish theme pub named Molloys. In early 2000 there was another rename to the quirky Thirsty Camel. The present landlard has returned its name to the traditional Oddfellows'.
   
Oddfellows made the newspapers in November 1988, when Michelle Gavin, who was expecting twins at the time lost her flat and possessions in a fire in Sidwell Street. The landlord of Oddfellows heard of her plight, and raised money to help her by charging customers 50 pence to make a hand print on a newly painted white ceiling.

Old Fire House - New North Road

This was the original West of England Fire Insurance Company, Fire Brigade from 1834 to 1888. In 1878, the captain of the fire brigade was John Henry Zelley. Exeter gained a reputation as the 'fiery city' during the 19th Century. The building housed the stone-pave d engine house an d stabling for the horses. Stairs and a trap-door hoist led to two large workshops above. A trap-door in the ceiling of one gave access to the roof where there was a wooden platform, used for drying the hose. After the Theatre Royal burnt down with a loss of 186 lives in September 1887, ironically only 50m from the Fire House, the City purchased the building and took over the equipment of the various city insurance company services, opening the Exeter Municipal Fire Brigade.

By 1897 the Superintendent of Fire Brigade, was William Pett who had under him a chief officer, an engineer and 18 men.

The building appears to be on a very cramped site, but it originally had an exercise yard at the front, which was cut through when the New North Road was built. In 1931, the service moved up to Danes Castle and the Old Fire House was sold for £1,500. It was used for various purposes over the years, and during the Second World War it was used as an army recruitment office. From 1959 to the 1970's, the Co-operative Retail Services used the premises for a warehouse, followed for a short time by Miller & Lilley who ran a solid fuel order office. By 1986 the building was derelict, when it was refurbished.

The pub opened in 1986 and inside can be found original firemen's helmets. The sign does not look like a typical, traditional pub sign. It shows an early, horse-drawn fire carriage rushing to a call - the appliance that attended the Theatre Royal fire, and was originally housed in the fire-station was put on display in Finance House in Barnfield Road, in what was the Commercial Union building before it amalgamated. The twin gate posts outside the Fire House once held large fire lamps, one of which erected outside the Brigade's Danes Castle fire house in 1967.

The Prospect Inn, Exeter Quay

This pub is situated on the quay, between the Custom House and the historic warehouses. Richard Sercombe, who was a ferry man of Trinity parish in 1803, is probably responsible for opening the Fountain Inn. Part of the premises are the former ferry man's cottage. It is interesting to note that Chevalier House in Fore Street also traded as the Fountain Inn until the late 18th century. These premises came into the possession of another Richard Sercombe who was a wine and spirit merchant - it has not been established if there is a link between the two Richards that would account for the naming of the Fountain on the quay.

The Prospect Steps to the right of the inn are part of an old right of way from the Quay to Southernhay and date from 1835, although the name is modern.

A Tragic Death
The Flying Post reported on the death of Mrs Elizabeth Sercombe, 66, wife of the landlord Richard Sercombe in October 1823. She was found in the river near Salmon Pool and taken to the Exeter Humane Society, near the Lime Kilns, where attempts were made to revive her. Her bonnet and other items of clothing were found on the bank near by. Suicide was not mentioned in the piece, although it was suggested. Richard Sercombe died just four weeks after his wife was buried.

The Exeter Humane Society was mentioned in the Exeter Pocket Journal of 1796 - its aims were the "recovery of Persons apparently dead by Drowning, Suffocation, &c. for the Support of which a Number of Subscriptions & Benefactions have been received". They were based in Gandy's Lane with outposts on either bank of the Exe.    

Some trade directory and Flying Post mentions for the Prospect/Fountain Inn:

A Win for Charity
In 1957, Diana Dors opened the recently renamed Prospect Inn as a prize in a Daily Sketch readers competition. The winners, Frank and Alma Ward, from Hull ran the pub for several years until they retired back to Hull. They gained a reputation for raising money for the Vranch House School and the Devon & Exeter Spastics Society through collecting at the bar and running events. In 1961, Jimmy Edwards the actor, visited the pub to push over a pile of pennies on the bar that were to go to the Vranch House School. The pub is also said to be haunted - a young Victorian girl holding a rag doll appears, smiles and then fades away, every Christmas.

The Queen Victoria, Tudor Street, Exe Island

This public house is the last one to be still trading on Exe Island. The Queen Victoria sometime before 1962. The red sandstone wall of the old Exe Island doss house is on the extreme left of the frame. It was demolished in the 1960's. Photo courtesy of Alan H Mazonowicz.

Some trade directory entries for the Queen Victoria:

1844 - Victoria Tavern, Isaac Parkin - Pigot's
1850 - Queen Victoria, Isc. Parkin, Exe Ild - White's
1871 - Short. J., queen victoria p.h. exe island - Pocket Journal
1878 - Queen Victoria, Edward S. Short, Exe Island, Exeter - White's
1897 - Queen Victoria, William Preston, Exe Island, Exeter - Kelly's
1906 - Queen Victoria, Parr, F., Exe Island - Besley's
1919 - Queen Victoria, Frederick Samuel Parr (new landlord) - Kelly's
1923 - Queen Victoria, Fredk. Samuel Parr, Exe Island, Exeter - Post Office
1945 - Samuel Parr ceased as landlord.
1956 - Queen Victoria, Edward J. Gorman, Exe island - Kelly's
2005 - Queen Victoria, Mrs S Thorne, manager

In 1875 a deed stated that the inn comprised the main public house "...together with the Brewhouse, Cellar, Skittle Alley and other premises."

It became a City Brewery house in September 1905. In 2005, Punch Taverns invested £265,000 into the Queen Victoria, with a major refurbishment. It also offers wireless access for surfing the internet.

Royal Oak - Okehampton Street

This pub is not only the only remaining pub in Okehampton Street, but it is the only remaining building on the river side of the street between Exe Bridge and the railway bridge by Flowerpot Fields. Up until the Exeter blitz, there was Howard's Commercial Hotel and the Seven Star Inn adjacent to the Exe Bridge, along with the Okehampton Inn, Sun and Stars and Union Inn in the short 400 m of street.
   
The first mention in a trade directory of the Royal Oak is in Besley's of 1856 when M C Tuckett was the resident innkeeper. He was followed by:

    1878 - Charles W Wright - White's
    1923 - Charles S Lane - Kelly's
    1956 - T Lane - Kelly's

The whole area has often suffered from flooding - in 1726 it was noted that Okehampton Street "...to be ruinous and in decay, by reason whereof ye River Ex did overflow the Highway". The Royal Oak suffered particularly badly in the St Thomas floods of 1960 when the torrent carried anything that would float down the estuary and out to sea. A barrel of beer from the Royal Oak  was picked up by HMS Highburton on 8th December 1960, seven miles off Portland. The selfless courage of the crew in saving the barrel was well repaid by the brewery and it was turned into a seat complete with explanatory brass plaque, and placed in the public bar.

There have been a total of five Royal Oak's in Exeter. Apart from this one, there was one in Alphington Street that was demolished in the 1970's for a road widening scheme, one in Fore Street/Milk Street, another in Guinea Street and one still trading in Heavitree.