Photo above: Circa 1906.
Sir Robert Peel, named after the founder of the Metropolitan Police force (the ‘Bobbys’) and future Prime Minister.
A pub since mid 1850s, The Licensing records show a Mrs Higgs the owner and William Higgs as licensee. Followed by John Newton 1874. among its landlords was one Arthur ‘Dick’ Pougher in the late 1880s
Arguably one of the most famous of all Leicestershire cricketers, Pougher was the first Leicester player to score 1,000 runs in a season in first class cricket. He also took fourteen wickets whilst playing for England against Surrey in 1895. By then he had taken over at the Cattle Market Hotel in Aylestone Road.
‘Dick Pougher was thus to keep the Robert Peel in the early 1890s at the same time as Arnold Rylott kept the nearby beerhouse, the Earl of Leicester. Only a stone’s throw away from one another were two of the greatest cricketers to play for Leicestershire County Cricket Club.
1894 John Newton is again recorded as licensee. Thomas Andrews 1897. Horace Beasley 1912.
Everards records show they purchased the pub in 1901.
Other landlords included William Frederick Smith 1930s and Henry Horsepool 1950.
A major refurbishment happened in 2014, both internally and externally.
This photo by Eddy Hall shows a different livery.