Photo above: Map of the Old Black Swan can be seen in the middle run of houses, only to be rebuilt on the corner of Gower St. when the 1930 Belgrave Rd widening took place. Also on the map the Old Black Swan has a rear entrance to Lower Grove St.
Original address,169 Belgrave Gate, known as the Black Swan since early 1800s. It changed its name to the Earl of Stamford’s Arms circa 1870 being run by Francis Doleman. It reverted back, this time to the Old Black Swan around a decade later. An interesting case arose when in August of 1853, Michael Hooley, was charged with assaulting an Irishman named Madden by breaking his head with a quart pot.
The pub became a LBM brewery house and closed c1930 for the new Belgrave Road widening. It was rebuilt some half a dozen doors away on the corner of Gower St and Belgrave Gate.
This photo shows the Belgrave Gate rounder-bout being laid out, c 1970s the Double Diamond sign is the Old Black Swan
It changed its name in the 1980s to O’Jays, and became used mainly as a live music venue.
Eventually Ansell’s sold the pub to local brewer Hoskins, circa1988, and they reverted again to the Black Swan.
Hoskins turned the pub into a popular real ale house, but it was only to last a few years, for Hoskins sold the Black Swan to Bank’s brewery in 1994. (locals called it the ‘Mucky Duck’
Bank’s ownership was only to short, as they too sold the Black Swan, eventually going to private hands and in September 2000, it changed names again to the Gayity.
The Gayity name was short lived too although the gay scene was kept by the owners when it was renamed G2 in 2002.
By 2004 G2 had become Harley’s Bar.
By April 2008, it was The Ambassador.
By 2009, it was closed as a pub.