Photo above: Craven Arms on right ‘Bar’ above front door. Plough seen in the centre with Worthington sign on side.
Known as the Black Lion or Lyon 1770, changed to Horse & Groom the L J ad in 1788 TO BE SOLD ‘THE HORSE AND GROOM Previously known as the BLACK LYON occupied by Thomas Noon. A right of common in St Margaret’s Pasture, The Abbey Meadow, & allotment in St Margaret’s Field belong to the premises.
There is a record (I have lost) of the pub being known as the Bulls Head as it stood empty for a period possibly between Black Lion and Horse & Groom, although there is a Bulls Head recorded in 1726 (no address ) Jonathan Neale is licensee of the Horse & Groom 1811, The Royal Hope coach ran from here to London. Neale after losing his wife 1815 transfers the licence to John Hannam in 1817, later in 1819 the Horse and Groom was up for sale. (Below 1813 ad for Horse & Groom to London Coach two year later the same coach was to run from the Bell L J )
Now The Craven Arms 1822 James Bell was licensee, (James Bell was later to be licensee of another Horse & Groom opposite side of Humberstone Gage- Confused? ) Below 1842 ad LJ James Bell transferring his licence to William Brown.
In 1842 William Brown was victular. Mrs Emma Enoch 1854 was now licensee. Emma had previously been at the Cap & Stocking in the town
To let in 1857 as Craven Arms Commercial Hotel, with rent of £80 per year and f&f at £500. Stabling for forty horses, fifteen bedrooms for travelers. Smoke, Tap, Bar, Commercial rooms 4 cellars, lofts and out buildings gives an idea of the size of property it was. Emma Enoch would advertise the fact she was leaving in a LJ notice below.
What she did not say was she had a bankruptcy notice filed against her that month, moving out of the Craven Arms she was staying at 7 Loseby Lane before moving and taking on the licence at the Dog and Gun Welford Place. She died at the Dog & Gun aged 58 in 1863. So George Henry Smith replaced her at the Craven Arms March 1857.
On the 30th of April 1858, Samuel M. Randall placed an advert in the Leicester Journal:
‘Having succeeded the proprietorship of the Craven Arms, after his long experience cook, can give satisfaction to all parties who may honour him with his patronage’ NB Tripe super every Fri night from 7-30pm-11pm.’
Landlord Randall died in the Craven Arms in 1863. It was reported that Randall and a few friends were larking about, Randall sitting on the top rail of a chair with his feet on the seat. One of the friends then tried to lift his leg over Randall’s head, whereon Randall fell to the ground, bringing on delirium tremens. Chloroform was administered but Randall became rigid dead.
1864 Edward Marshall was licensee.
Another tragic death occurred two years later in November 1865, when landlord James Kenny’s wife, Elizabeth aged fifty-nine, was burnt to death when her clothes caught fire whilst attending to the fire grate in the vaults.
Mary Taylor landlady for a period in 1868 Arthur Dabbs licensee. Arthur Dabbs was obviously an enterprising man as like Emma Enoch before he was also licensee of the Dog and Gun Welford place, possibly he was quick tempered and handy with his fists as some court cases show. 1876 Dabbs was summon at Derby Police Court for assaulting Joseph Elliot and his sister at Trent Station, the case was described as a of ‘paltry nature’ and dismissed. Feb 1879 Dabbs charged with riding his horse on footpath at Kibworth, fined 11/- and costs. March 1890 Dabbs was taken to court for striking Wm Baker the Craven Arms ‘Boot’ boy with a harness, Dabbs was not very sober, apologized and offered to retain Bakers services, at which point the magistrate thought that was fair so an amicable agreement had been reached. 1892 Dabbs again charged with assault this time on his ostler Wm Cole, after a day hunting Dabbs came back and struck Cole several times cutting his face, this time Dabbs was fined 40/- or 14 days, the Chief Constable noting that Dabbs had been before the Court on assault charges in the past. Obviously also some kind of entrepreneur Dabbs kept and entered Ponys in shows, also took out occasional licenses at the Floral Hall Theatre. after Arthur in 1896 Mary Ann Dabbs,was now licensee, she also showed at shows notably beagle puppy’s. The Craven Arms was up for sale 1902 with Mary Dabbs still there shortly before she died at the Craven Arms c1903
We have at this point an owner named James Greenwood son of John Greenwood Belgrave Rd named in the licensing register. John Thomas Markham 1903 is now landlord. William Hall 1904. Charles Henry Harding 1907. The ownership changes near this time to ‘The Home Counties Public House Trust Ltd Temple Bar Chambers The Strand London WC2.
John Whites 1908 is licensee, Alexander Wotherspoon 1909. Frederick Woodbridge 1911, Arthur Bently 1917, Thomas Edward Coleman 1918, Alexander Part 1919, and lastly Richard Sands 1921.
A meeting held by the local Temperance Society was reported in LC in 1868. Its supporters, bearing torches congregated, outside the Craven Arms where they were addressed from a window of the pub. Amidst considerable uproar the speaker was pelted with dead cats (where were they from?) and other missiles.
The Craven Arms was bought by the Bell Hotel next door during World War I, being closed on the 21st of May 1923, and absorbed into the Bell Hotel.
Craven Arms, left to right Admiral Nelson-Plough-Craven Arms