Edward Smith landlord 1841, he charged John Rawlings of assault and making a disturbence at the Bower Inn, Rawlings was find 18/- or 21 days.
The Bower was first recorded in an 1849 directory, the address is given as Watts Causeway, this later became King Richard’s Road in the new street layout of the 1860s. The Bower was now identified as situated on the corner of Coventry Street and West Holme Street, off King Richard’s Road.
In 1852, the Bower brewed its own beer under the Needham family who ran the pub for over forty years. By 1895, brewing had ceased and John Cox was licensee.
Bass by now had bought the Bower, and in 1897 the old brewhouse was knocked down in order to enlarge the smoke room. The picture above was taken circa 1969. The pub was a beer only house until 1962 and finally closed on the 29th of December 1972.
The Williams family once kept the Bower. They were the parents of famous Leicester actor Bill Maynard, and here Bill pulls a pint with his wife and parents in attendance.
Photo credit: Nick Miller Collection.