KINGS HEAD, 28 KING STREET

A real classic local, until its refurbishment, in the 1990s.  Many characters, male and female (ladies taking snuff) ,could be found in the front room: ‘Hogarthian’ would be a way of describing it.  Lunch time I liked the best.  I don’t think it changed in one hundred years, nor its customers: its Victorian servery and bar back, a real delight.  Never aggressive, unless you wanted to argue. One of my favourite pubs but to my dismay the photos I took have since been lost:  either that or I forgot to take the lenses cover off my camera, after observing the ‘crac’ in there with a few pints of Bass,  I can’t be sure.  One saving grace was that I rescued the bar back, when it underwent its refurb, which is still in place in the restaurant of the Cow & Plough, Oadby (2015)

Barry Lount

If left alone would rank high in CAMRA’S National Inventory.

Above taken from Drink & Damnation by Barry Lount and Robert Spurr. 

List of landlords from 1820s Wm Wragg, 1830 Thomas Porter. (died 1833) –1843 Wm Bagley, moved to the Blue Boar 1845.

Free an’Easy’s held here in the 1850s. 1846 John Breefit. 1850 Thomas Warren. 1852 Jesse Musson transferred to George Marshall King in 1858, who came from the Old Robin Hood Abbey Gate. A year later in 1859 King transferred to Jonathan Hoiles.

1860 Thomas Foxon, J D Clarke listed as owner. 1865 George Wm Clayton. (died c1885) 1885 Ann Clayton, Georges widow who is now listed as owner.(Ann died 1909) 1909 Joseph Clayton, Joseph is now becomes the owner. 1939 Harry Simmons. 1966 Norman Greaves. 1970 Douglas Howitt. 1973 Desmond Griffin.

For a time it tried to become trendy, changing its name to Kings.  Out went the Victorian décor and its customers:  snuff sales plummeted.

 The Kings Head was one of the Bass pubs jettisoned to new ownership in the ill fated Monopolies and Mergers Commission. For a time it sold Gibbs Mew products.

This picture from 2000 shows it as Kings. It didn’t last, later reverting to the Kings Head. At the time of writing owned by Black Country Inns.

Kings Head bar back, now in Cow & Plough, Oadby.
Atmospheric photo of King St c1920, although it has been recorded as Charles St, Firths buttons, the large building was certainly in King St in the 1920’s, can anyone confirm?

2 Comments

  1. Steve
    And
    Simone plews owned this pub around 2000, fantastic customer base and brilliant food offers. Never been the same since. And I’m saying that myself! Awesome customer base, love the punters who made our life brilliant, thanks to all of you x

    1. Thanks Steve, yes I remember as I called in occasionally when in town, good comment.

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