BOAT AND ENGINE – BATH HOTEL, Bath Lane

In the 18th century, the area immediately to the north of West Bridge on the East side of the River Soar, was laid out as pleasure gardens. Known as Vauxhall Gardens – on account of their similarity to the famous gardens in London of the same name.

From 1760, the gardens boasted planted walks, bowling greens, music galleries and baths for ladies and gentlemen, as well as a public house. The gardens became a favourite spot for recreation with rowing and boating being the major attractions.

In the middle of the 1790s, however, the whole site was offered for sale, and by the end of the same decade warehouses and two wharves (known as Vauxhall and West Bridge wharves) occupied the site. Bath Lane gets its first mention in a directory of 1815, which also lists a pub in the lane called The Vauxhall. A small portion of land retained the name of Vauxhall Gardens behind the Bakers Arms on Friars Causeway but this was swept away in the 1890s with the coming of the Great Central Railway.

The Boat and Engine is first listed in the 1822 directory (confusingly with Vauxhall Gardens as its address rather than Bath Lane). The pub stood for many years and even survived a road improvement scheme in the 1870s, which saw Bath Lane straightened out so as to form a continuation with Sarah Street.
Joseph Gent was one of the first licensees in around 1831.

The pub was let out in March, 1838, Elizabeth Frisby taking over shortly after.

1852 William Tarratt
1854 William Carey
1855 J. Tyers. During his time the Boat and Engine was found open after hours. April 1864 William Arnold
1867 John Kenny
1869 John Orme

The Boat and Engine was auctioned at the Wellington Hotel in May in May 1873, William Biggs becoming the landlord.

Some suggest that the Boat and Engine was named after the nearby river and the Leicester to Swannington Railway. The Boat and Engine is listed in 1822, however, and Stephenson’s railway was not completed until 1832.

BATH HOTEL

The name changed to the Bath Hotel, possibly in recognition of the newly erected public baths to the south of the pub, in 1879. Bath Lane, prior to road alterations for the nearby railway.

Photo above: Page from license registers recordings from the clerk of the court.                        

The Bath Hotel’s next licensee was Thomas Fidler in 1877. On 14 October, Thomas Fiddler was convicted of a felony. He lost his licence as he was sentenced to three months hard labour.

1884 J. Nechles (sic)

1885 George Ward

1886 M. McLeary

1898 Thomas and Susannah Plant

1898 Joseph Kidger

Bill Sheriff came in 1907. Bill was a local champion boxer, who in Victorian times had fought under the name of ‘Young Bruce’. Bill, as can be imagined. was a hard character who kept the boxing traditions alive with booths and a training ring at the pub.

Bill Sherriff in his prime, and one of his many trophies.

My father Cyril Lount had for a time been brought up by his Uncle Bill (Sherriff) and Aunt Ada at the pub, and would tell me of the rare characters that used the pub. As a boy a chunk of Ada’s fruit cake would keep my dad quiet, whilst he watched the boxers knock seven bells out of each other for a few pence. The large attic held boxing booths.

The pub at this time was owned by All Saints Brewery, as with many hard men uncle Bill had a softer side to his nature and both he and Ada would gain much pleasure from his large aviary where many songbirds – including linnets – were kept. As a boy, I would gaze in admiration at this large, fearless, but to me gentle man talking to his birds.

Speaking to the Rudkins in 1988, they told me of a ghost in the Bath Hotel that removed items only to replace them weeks later. The ghosts favorite item was a green tea caddy. George recalled, ‘We had a habit of setting the table at night in preparation for the following morning’s breakfast, the tea caddy always placed in prime position on the kitchen table. On rising, the caddy would be gone, and nowhere to be found, only to return some days later in its rightful place. I would say to the ghost, all right keep the bloody thing, but the caddy would always return.’

When I met George and Vi they were retired some time but still had the green tea caddy in their new home. It never goes missing now. – Barry Lount

Bill Sherriff was once threatened with a 28 day prison sentence for allowing drinking during prohibited hours during World War 1. A ‘breaking room’ was at the rear of the pub where Bill would ‘break down’ his spirits after buying them in bulk.

After Bill Sherriff, came Fred Walker in around 1926, and Arthur Chapman in 1938. (Graham Ward writes his uncle Bert Goss with his wife ran the pub during 1940’s A Buffalo Lodge was held here too) The last incumbents were George and Vi Rudkin, who ran the Bath Hotel which by now had become part of the estate of Everards Brewery from around 1951 until its closure in1958. The Rudkins moved to a new pub The Dove on Downing Drive in Evington.

 

George Rudkin, at the “bobby hole”.

Bath Hotel Bar, c1956

Vi Rudkin, right with friend Mrs Cobley behind the bar.

Landlord George Rudkin, with darts team Arthur Stacey, Harry Graggon,
Walter Hunt, Stan Catterell and Fred Emery.