Mentioned in deeds as a pub in 1722.
After the Queens Head and prior to the Van & Horses it seems the pub was called the Bull & Butcher.
In January 1817, an auction at the Bull & Butcher, Gallowtree Gate of twenty six houses in Hicking Square, off Granby Street.
It appears as the Bull & Butcher in directories of 1815-22, and in a will of 1823.
The only other reference to surface so far was in 1853, when a report on the bankruptcy and death of Jesse Oldfield, residing in London, who ‘once kept the Bull & Butcher now Castle Tavern in Gallowtree Gate, Leicester.’
Jesse had left Leicester in mysterious circumstances some years earlier, leaving behind his wife and family. The report stated that a recent court case involving Jesse Oldfield was brought the attention to his family back in Leicester. Mrs. Oldfield travelled to find her long lost husband of many years. They were not reconciled.
Jesse, on returning home one stormy night in horse and chaise to his residence in Smitham Bottom, London, failed to show up. A search party was despatched where they found the horse and chaise without any occupant. Jesse was found some distance away his skull smashed in, body mutilated with blood flowing copiously from his wounds. He must have lain in the rain in excruciating agony, and apparently the chase had hit some railings in the storm and turned over, dragging poor Jesse along.
After the Bull & Butcher the pub became the Van & Horses, the first reference being in 1830, when newspaper reported a robbery there.
Then in November 1832, it was again in the papers for the wrong reasons – a fatal prize fight.
Thomas Pembleton entered the Van & Horses, approaching a group of young men drinking and offered to fight one of the men over a previous dispute. On having the offer rejected Thomas offered any one else to a fight. Thomas Birch 17, accepted the offer and a 10/- wager was put down.
The landlord persuaded the men to go outside to find a suitable place to fight, so they move to a nearby field close to the Humberstone Toll Gate.
There they stripped and fought 59 rounds, lasting one and a half hours. At the end of the 59th round Pembleton sunk to his knees senseless. He was carried into the nearby Nelson pub where he died.
The coroner addressed the jury with great feeling, severely reprimanding the constable who sat by and let the fight take place. He gave a verdict of manslaughter against Thomas Birch, committing him to jail for 3 months with hard labour (about the same sentence for poaching from the gentry).
In 1840, John Neal of the Van & Horses was charged with assaulting Mr. Gannon, a comedian who was lodging at the pub. It was claimed that Neal knocked Gannon down, repeatedly banging his head on the floor as Neal hadn’t paid his debts.
In 1843, landlord William Woolman was charged with gambling at 4. His defence was he was left some packs of cards in the fixtures and fittings valuation when he took over, so he used one of them.
In May 1844, a notice appeared in the press:
‘R CAIN begs respectfully to inform his friends that he has removed from the New Inn to the Van & Horses in Gallowtree Gate, but in future will be known as the CASTLE INN’
Richard (Dick) Cain had been a bare knuckle fighter and became publican at the Castle at the early age of 25, taking the licence from William Woolman in May 1844.
One of his first brushes with the law as a licensee came when he organised a running race from Oadby. Such were the crowds that Cain was fined for obstructing the highway. Very much a Leicester man, although born in Dublin to an Irish mother and Leicester father, he was involved with many sporting events and was visible at the Leicester races.
In his first year at the Castle a murder had taken place just outside when two of his customers left the tavern. Ellen Gillman (the daughter of the landlord of the Albert) was the victim. Her boyfriend John Rasen, was the perpetrator who stabbed Ellen to death. The trial was long, obviously invoking tremendous local interest. Rusen, who could have received the death penalty, escaped with 15 transportation due to his previous good character.
Cain would dominate proceedings at the Castle Tavern over the next 20 years with his sporting connections and pugilistic prowess. He was often called upon at election time to provide heavies and protection to various candidates.
Cain had his sparring rooms here where he became the mentor of Nat Langham.
Nat Langham, a local boy from Hinckley, had the worst possible start in life. His parents, described as drunken paupers, neglected Nat so he was reduced to eating scraps with the dog. Caught stealing from a hot potato cart, the vendor thrust a red hot potato into Nat’s mouth so severely that he scalded his tongue. For the rest of his life he spoke with a pronounced impediment.
Nat Langham, overcame all this to become champion boxer of England. An obvious favourite in Leicester, where great crowds would turn out to see him fight, Nat became the only man to beat Tom Sayers (who was the first boxer declared world heavyweight champion, and the last champion before the Queensbury rules),which the posters would proudly proclaim. Nat won in the 61st round with Sayers finally throwing in the towel.
Technically a middleweight, and weighing less than 11 stone, Nat often fought much bigger men. After fighting out of the Castle under Dick Cain, Nat moved to London to obtain bigger fights where he became world famous in boxing circles. He retired in 1857, returning to Leicester and his mentor at the Castle. Nat must have come out of retirement as in 1860 as Dick Cain advertised a boxing match between Nat and Tom Paddock, to take place at the Cricket Ground.
Nat Langham died in 1871 in London aged 52, a Leicestershire hero and legend.
Richard Cain, died of a fistula at the early age of 47, his funeral attended by many sporting and prominent people, including the Mayor.
The Castle was put up for auction where Loughborough Brewers, Redrup and Co., purchased the inn for £1800.
The licence passed to George Patrick, then to Alf Prior. It would pass through various hands, one being local actor James Elliot, alias Lewis Sinclair, who after a short period became bankrupt. Others followed, including Andrew Porter, Millicent Diggle and Joe Castings.
May 1873, saw a new landlord when Mr. Sewell moved from the Worlds End pub in Leicester. He was followed two years later by Edmund Addison.
John Crowhurst, from next door’s Robin Hood was to apply to have a restaurant on the site. This was granted and by 1875, the Castle changed its name to the Criterion, referred as an ‘opulent establishment with marble top counters and tables’ (CP). It still retained its liquor licence.
One incident which unwittingly involved the Criterion happened in 1881 when the ‘pork pie poisoner’ hid from the mob by taking refuge in the Criterion. The incident was reported by the local press:
‘The whole town was in a fever of excitement over the seizure of 2-3 tons of putrefied pork bacon and other meat on the premises of Vicars Collier, Silver St, next door to the Opera House.’
Collier was a sausage and pork pie maker, and the rotten meat was intended for the manufacture of the Christmas pork pies. The diligence of a local health officer discovered the maggoty mess and described it as ‘in a high state of putrefaction.’
The diseased meat was carted to the Town Hall yard where it lay exposed, throwing up a gas that turned anyone stomach that happened to pass by.
The word soon spread and Collier, on his way to the Police Court, was hounded with cries of “lynch him” and and ‘let’s rip him up’, so afraid was Vicars Collier that he took refuge in the Criterion.
Such was the damage done to the local pork pie makers reputation that many took ads in the papers to try to alleviate the public’s fears. Such as:
THE BELVOIR PORK PIE
‘The makers of the above will give £100 if any person can prove that they are using or ever have had used other than fresh English pork.’
The Criterion failed to renew its licence in 1899, but survived as a restaurant for a few further years.
The Criterion building survived as one of the few Georgian buildings on Gallowtree Gate until June 2000, when it was demolished for a new store
Photo above: before and after demolition of this fine Georgian building.
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