A Gardeners Arms was recorded in Church Gate between 1830s-1840s but no actual number given.
What is known is that William Warwick, himself a gardener (hence the name), held the licence whilst his wife helped run the beerhouse. Unruly it certainly was as in 1837, William Warwick was censured for keeping a disorderly house after he was assaulted by men who were clearly drunk. At court William was accompanied by his wife who kept interrupting the Mayor, Town Clerk and other officers. She was eventually bundled out by officials whilst shouting that they were all ‘a pack of false tellers.’
In February 1838, police reported to the magistrates that the Gardeners Arms was as disreputable as ever: two well known ‘urchins’ were assembling with juvenile characters of the worst kind.
In June, the same year Mrs. Warwick again caused disruption in the court when she was warned about attracting apprentices to the beerhouse to drink and play cards whilst they should have been at their employment. She complained bitterly that the case was brought up through ‘nothing but spite.’
William Warwick found himself in the debtors’ court in September 1840 when he failed to pay his suppliers. Warwick claimed that it was all down to the recent election when he was told to supply all locals (although he himself was a Tory) with drink to encourage them to cast a vote for the Liberal Party. This he did until they could drink no more, but when he presented the bill the Liberals told him it was too much. He alleged that they deducted so much from the claim that it ruined him. He was ordered to pay his supplier off at 8/- per week.
William Warwick was charged in 1843 with assaulting a policeman. Warwick claimed he didn’t recollect seeing a PC, let alone assaulting one as he was very drunk.
It is possible that the beerhouse afterwards changed its name, and might also have been called something else before the Gardeners Arms.