Stood on the corner of Halford and Charles Street.
1726 an Anchor listed in recognizance orders, no address given.
From the late 1700s, the pub had its own granary and brewey auctioned off in 1838, 1840 and again in 1859.
Framework knitters would hold meetings here to air their grievances with the pay and conditions from c1790-1810. Edward Quilter licensee 1818.
Many auctions were held here during this period being one of the foremost taverns in Leicester, Charles Pole the then landlord sold the Anchor in 1817. Wm Barker bought the premises, Inquests too were held here a most distressing case occurred in December 1829 when young Robert Allen aged four was burnt to death, he lived in a house next to a brick kiln, newspaper reports said he was ‘burnt to a cinder’ one of the workman saw Robert running from the kiln with flames all over him, the workman quickly rolled Robert in the snow extinguishing the flames, but it was to late but not before Robert saying ‘Dolly pushed me in’ Dolly being one of the three children who were playing. The inquest verdict was Accidental death.
Around this time Wm Barker purchased the Anchor a skilled business man he also purchased the lease on the Cricket Ground Wharf St, running many activities there, supplying the wine, beer and spirits from the Anchor (see under cricket ground Wharf St) Prosperous days for the Inn. Barker was at the Anchor until his death c1864 when the inn was sold
During Wm Barkers time, 1859 a major fraud took place when one Siegfried Aaron a German Jew with a man named Hermann Falk took rooms at the inn claiming to Mrs Barker to be shipping merchants, also renting for a year a small warehouse nearby as hosiery supplies and tailoring a sign board Falk & Co was erected, various trades people ordered work from the pair paying for their services up front, goods were to be delivered to the Anchor, needless to say after three months the warehouse was shut up the pair had vanished. Siegfried Aaron was traced, found in Manchester, brought back, bailed in the sum of £100 to appear at the next sessions. Aaron claimed that Falk was his master and he Aaron took no part in the fraud, indeed he had been easy to find as he had left his address. Falk on the other hand had not yet been found, the bench agreed found Siegfried Aaron not guilty, what the defrauded tradsmen thought of this was not reported.
It seems Joseph Bent was at the Anchor for a period as in May 1868 he posted an ad opening new stabling facilities in Leicester ‘late of the Anchor inn Charles St’
John Murby late in 1868, he didn’t last long after he was taken into custody on a charge of setting fire to a house on corner Stanley St/Humberstone Rd, when the police arrived to see part of the house in flames Murby was found laying drunk in the kitchen. Feb 1869 his licence was transferred to Thomas Plant.
Thomas Plant had been running the Royal George in Charles St before moving to the Anchor, he also ran a shoe manufacturing business nearby, but at the same time as taking on the Anchor he filed for bankruptcy. as “Thomas Plant Innkeeper, Ale & Porter Merchant” also Thomas Plant & Co Shoe Manufactures Charles St. When his bankruptcy eventually came to the proceedings it was found his cash book had gone missing, the only accounts were on a piece of paper, Plant blamed his accountant (only just appointed) and the his son who he said was in charge of the bookkeeping, unfortunately the son couldn’t be contacted as Plant claimed he had gone to America. Money problems seemed to follow Thomas Plant.
Thomas Plant was fined 1873 for allowing gaming, he protested his innocence by writing to the newspapers. May 1874 Plant sold on to Arthur Richardson, by now the Anchor had gained a less pleasant reputation under Plant, as had the Royal George he ran earlier. Richardson new to Leicester was forced to try and sort the clientele out not before after only six months at the Anchor he was charged with permitting the pub to be used for prostitution.Two police inspectors watched the premises and saw prostitutes accost men outside taking them in the vaults to reappear 15-20 mins later, this during one evening spell between 5pm-11pm happened on no less than nine occasions, the prostitutes six of them lived mainly in Sandpit Lane. Landlord Richardson claimed as he was new to Leicester he didn’t know the women, a letter from the Chief constable of Nottingham where Richardson was last a landlord spoke favorably of him. The bench decided he was guilty fining him £5 but under the circumstances did not endorse the conviction on his licence. Arthur Richardson soon but the business up for sale.
The auction notes of 1874 Described the Anchor of having 9 beds, dining parlour, billiad room, vaults, tap, brewhouse, stabling for 16 horses, lofts, shedding and other outbuildings.
George Sturgess became proprietor, moving from the Barley Mow, he advertised the Anchor Feb 1876 with a large and elegantly fitted smoke room entrance in Halford St and commercial entrance in Charles St.
Everards bought the property, circa 1896.
Closed its doors on the 5th of February 1928, and had its licence transferred to the newly built City Arms on Saffron Lane.
