1873 The Cattle Market advertised ” for a tenant to rent the refreshment room on Market & Fair days” 1886 The Borough Council advertised for tenants to lease the refreshment rooms now occupied by Thomas Pagett on a 3 year lease.
. Mr H E Rippin held the lease c1918. The opening hours for alcohol 10am-2pm Tuesdays. He renewed the lease for 5 years at £120 per annum. From c1931 Walter Spriggs of the Pelican & Tower Vaults also held the licence for the Cattle Market Bar & Refreshment Rooms, in Dec that year three men plundered a haul of spirits from the bar and hid them in allotments, the three James Bolland Levi Peace & James Peace who had previous was sentenced to 6 moths hard labour, the two others were bound over for two years.
Photo c 1988 below from Kevvy Brown (Leicester Past & Present)
Situated in the cattle market itself, a listed building, serving the market for approx one hundred and thirty years. In 1991 Leicester City Council embarked upon a new development scheme for the market area, the only building to survive was the cattle Market Bar, after being vandalised it reopened 1997 fully refurbished as the Counting House.
The clock was broken and defaced, by a group of ‘travellers’ camping nearby. A complete restoration was needed fortunately this fine Victorian building with its unique tower and clock has survived.
Shortly after it closed the pub was vandalised by a group of ‘travellers’ even the main clock was defaced and broken.
COUNTING HOUSE
The Counting House 2023 photo by Eddy Hall (Made in Leicester)