RAINBOW & DOVE, CHARLES STREET/NORTHAMPTON STREET

1920s photo of Rainbow & Dove.

Originally the address was given as no. 13 Northampton Street –  during the 1930s road alterations for Charles Street, Northampton Street was mostly obliterated, being hardly recognisable now (see map below).

In the 1820s, the Brewery was situated next door to the beerhouse.  Like the beer house, it was owned by the Hannam family. John Hannam shown as brewer with William Hannam brewing during the 1830’s with his wife Mary,(MB) Mary carried on brewing after William throughout the 1840’s through to the 1850’s by 1860 and in her 50’s she had moved to London Rd, 1861 John Moley Maxsted 40 is listed as brewer employing four people, Thomas Frisby a travelling brewer listed as living with Maxsted . By mid 1860’s Thomas Cave Carver was now running the brewery although Mary Hannam was still listed as owner of the Rainbow & Dove the brewery was called the Northampton St. Brewery.  Later that decade the brewery was under Carver & Bates known as the Eagle Brewery, Frederick Bates the brewer, then by 1880 known as Bates Son & Bishell

The brewery had undergone many changes of owners and names eventually becoming Leicester Brewing and Malting.  It had also been known as the Eagle Brewery – the Eagle becoming the symbol of  LBM.

The pub was tied to the brewery for its ale, as in one case (1870) when the landlord took Mr. Bates to court for supplying him with bad beer with no recompense.  The court found in the landlord’s favour.

Early references to the pub in 1838-9 refer to it as the Dove & Rainbow.  The Leicester Mercury described a daring robbery that took place at the house of Mr Pole, the Dove and Rainbow. 

Henry Pole had taken on the licence during the 1830s and 1840s, the Rainbow and Dove becoming a place of entertainment.

‘A very funny case’ for 3 nights more, Wednesday, positively the last night in Leicester. 

A full licence was gained the following year in 1856.  A Mr. Cleaver was the driving force behind the entertainment.

October 1890, saw the Rainbow & Dove engulfed in fire.

The report tells of the three storey Rainbow & Dove partially destroyed by fire and in July 1893 the pub was sold at auction for £2300.

The pub closed in the 1980s to become BT’s private club, but if you blagged it you could still get served.  The interior was still untouched at this time.

Acquired from LBM by Ansells c1952, Leicester’s Hoskins Brewery was to buy the pub 1985, It didn’t last long as they sold out to Bank’s, circa 1992.

In 1999, Bank’s Brewery tried to revive flagging sales by spending £100,000 on a revamp and calling it Rainbow and Dove Tap House.

It wasn’t enough to re energise the pub and after another face lift in 2004 it became a ‘gay-friendly bar’ 

The Rainbow and Dove is still open for business as of writing.