Photo above: Circa 1870 the Durham Ox can be seen with horse and cart outside. Sign advertising Thomas Salts ales above first floor windows.
Below a Chris Pyrah photo.
Change of livery for the Durham Ox, from 1985 to the year 2000.
A Thomas Salt pub at the turn of the century, until 1927 when Bass Ratcliff & Gretton purchased Thomas Salt. A C.A.M.R.A. publication claims it was called the Settlers Inn during the 18th century.
The Settlers is mentioned as a name in one of Eric Swift’s records.
A beer house only until 1873, when a full licence was granted to William Deacon who had lived there from c 1848. In 1853, a cock bird was stolen from his hen house, a few days later a brown hen was taken from the hen roost, this time its head was left at the scene. !!
William died in 1876, and the licence passed to his widow Jane, who remarried Henry Ball in 1883 and Henry became licensee. In 1888, a William Deacon was named as licensee again, (possibly son). 1895, Katherine Garner. 1898, William Buckle. 1907, William Scotney. 1919, Thomas Ashburner. 1931, Carl Clover. 1932, James Clarke. 1945, William Chambers.
From JR’s list: 1949, George Waring. 1970-71 George Gass. 1971-91, Graham Cooze. During this time, the Bowling Green was renowned for its ambience, beer and hospitality. The walls were adorned with many large Victorian brewery mirrors. Graham Cooze transformed the small three room pub into one larger room.
Graham Cooze was born in Windsor, his father was the Queens head coachman at the Palace c1953-65, so Graham lived at Buckingham Palace for about 18 years. Later he was chef for the British Embassy in Istanbul. .An interesting account and painting of Grahams father can be found in Leices Merc Feb 2nd 1973.
1991-92, Nicholas Dean. 1992-95, David Dixey. 1995-96, Roy Hullatt. 1996, Stephen Packwood.
Sold at auction by Punch Taverns with a covenant prohibiting any future sale of alcohol, June 2005. Nice of them!
DURHAM OX
The Durham Ox, like the Angel in Oxford Street, had a fine range of lunchtime food in the late 1960s-early 1970s: both Bass houses. The Royal Standard in Charles Street was another, when in most pubs you were lucky to get a cheese and onion cob. Only a small one roomed bar adorned with three or four large Victorian advertising brewery mirrors, reminiscent of a London City centre pub. How times change in Leicester.
Below an article from the booklet In Inns in Leicestershire on the Durham Ox which describes perfectly its lunchtime food.
