BOWLMAKER’S ARMS – BOWTURNER’S ARMS, 156 -158 BELGRAVE GATE

This was kept circa 1850, by Thomas Cattell.  After living at 120 Belgrave Gate (the Musicians Arms), Cattell opened a beer house at no. 156.  This was to become known as the Bowlmakers – Thomas’ trade. He shortly afterwards extended this to include 158 Belgrave Gate. By 1870, the beer house was known as the Bowlturners Arms.

In 1882, William Barnard was licensee until 1889, Charles Tidd  followed but became bankrupt and the licence passed to George Richards, who bought the pub –  he was also listed as a brewer,

Robert Hill came in 1919, and according to the licensing records Mitchells and Butlers purchased the pub for £4,000 that year. Arthur Crofts followed in 1920 and William Thomas the same year.  He was also named as owner. George Richards was also listed in directories as being there in 1920 also as brewer, this could be slightly out of date as many directories were.

In 1922, the pub was to change hands again, this time for £4,800 to Shipstones. James Dexter came in 1923 and Walter Kenny in 1925.

The 1930s saw Thomas Lowe, Walter Pratt and Arthur Bexon as landlords. During the war years, Walter Pickering was at the helm, followed in the late 1940s by Thomas Gamble. During the 1950s, there were no less than six licence holders starting with Edward Elton, 1950; Benjamin Frankling, 1952; Walter Judkins, 1953; Harry Springthorpe, 1955; Ernest Wood, 1958, and James Hirst a year later. James Walsh gave it some kind of continuity being there some years until the 1980s.

The Bowlturners was always known to have an ‘Irish’ flavour, and this was to continue through the 1980s with Brian Walsh, Margaret Flynn and James Brown.

After the alterations, the Bollys went through a few changes – none for the better, By 2015, it was known as Bowlturners Disco with Bollywood Dance nights.