Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

Sportspace - Hemel Hempstead
 
 
Friday, 3rd September 2010

 
PLOUGH TO SIX BELLS
The Plough
(Leverstock Green Road)



The Plough, Leverstock Green
A FREDERICK Boatright was the licensee for 30 years until 1953. Interestingly at that time, this was purely a beer house, and no wines or spirits were sold there. Apparently, it had not even had a ladies until 1951, but as it had been clearly needed, the Ministry of Works gave a building licence for it to be built. The total cost was £130, and a further £33.5s had been spent on alterations to the existing urinal. This work it seems was the provision of a new opening into the bar and the provision of a door.

The Plough (Marlowes)



The Plough, Marlowes
THE FORMER inn, stood at the southern end of Marlowes. It was eventually demolished to make way for the Plough Roundabout development, which took its name. History shows us that the landlord in the late 1890’s to have been one William Cowley.

The Post Office Arms
(Puller Road)


THOUGHT to be the only public house in the country named thus, it is also known locally as The Patch. Where the name came from is
unsure, but locals say it derives from the fact that the then landlords could not afford
curtains, and hung patchwork quilts at the
windows instead. There is also a theory that it may refer to the stamps (or patches) put on
letters in the early days of the penny post.
An Edward Lee was the landlord in 1912, and the pub stayed in that family until 1965, when it closed for two-and-a-half years before re-opening in October, 1968.

The Prince Albert
(London Road)


A FORMER inn of London Road, Apsley, it stood adjacent to where St Mary’s Church is today, roughly on the site of the now Nascent House.

The Princes Arms
(London Road)



The Princes Arms
THE INN of London Road, at the junction with Station Road, is today known as the Hooden in the Box. One interesting anecdote is that the pub actually opened on VJ Day, 16th August 1944, but only for 15 minutes from 7pm due to a shortage of beer.

The Queens Head
(Lawn Lane)


THIS 18th century inn, shows in a will as early as 1724, it was also mentioned in the billing return of 1756, when it was run by one Edward Healey, and in the late 1890’s by Richard Furr.
Interestingly around 100 years ago, at the turn of the last century, this was a forge owned and worked by the Glenister family of 10
Corner Hall. Another of the families involved with the Queens Head were the Holloway
family, brewers in Hemel Hempstead between 1806 and 1852.

The Queens Head
(Saffron Lane)


Queen's Head, Queen Street

FORMER inn of Saffron Lane, now Queensway, it stood just a few doors from The Swan and Trout.

The Railway Hotel
(London Road)


FORMER hotel/inn standing at the entrance to Hemel Hempstead Railway Station, it was demolished in 1989 to make way for the ill- fated La Mirage nightclub, which was later
demolished to make way for the Mallard public house that occupies the site today.

The Red Lion
(Nash Mills Lane)


KNOWN as an inn as early as 1791, at one time providing stabling for horses which were used for towing the narrowboats on the canal.

Red Lion (Water End)


18th century inn close to the River Gade. The building itself dates from the mid 18th century, but the earliest reference to the inn is 1730, when the then owner/licensee Richard Meriot died.
At that time the house which was very large for a rural inn, occupied three acres of land, complete with animals, farm implements, and was said to have six rooms. It also apparently had a brewhouse and two cellars.
Another licensee in 1862,was William Snelling Norris, who was also the letter carrier for Great Gaddesden and postmaster of Hemel Hempstead.

The Rose (Featherbed Lane)


A FORMER 18th century inn of Apsley, known from parish register records as early as 1714.

The Rose & Crown
(Bedmond Road)


FORMER inn of Leverstock Green, it stood roughly opposite the junction of Bedmond Road and Church Road. The building is today a private residence.

The Royal Stag (Fletcher Way)


OPENED in 1964, the pub stands on Fletcher Way, opposite the Bellgate shops. The name is a reminder of the visit of King Henry VIII to Ashridge and The Bury, when the royal chase of the wild deer would surely have been on the entertainment agenda. Indeed the king may well have passed through the nearby Howe Grove.

The Salmon & Trout (Saffron Lane, now Queensway)


FORMER inn of Saffron Lane (now Queensway), was probably no more than a common lodging house.

The Salmon (London Road)


FORMER public house of Apsley, it stood on the London Road between the Apsley Village Club, and St Mary’s Church. Around the end of the last century, The Fountain public house nearby applied for a grant to carry out alterations, which included garden room, which could be used by passing cyclists. However, the licensee of the Salmon objected saying that there was already ample provision for cyclists in the local pubs. The magistrates rejected the application.

The Saracens Head
(Adeyfield Road)


THE Saracens Head public house stood at the junction of Adeyfield Road and High Street Green, until it’s closure in 1952 to allow the licensing of the nearby New Venture public house in Queens Square. When it had opened the name was given to mark the conflict between the Crusaders and the Saracens. A Robert Bowers was landlord from the early 1900’s to 1927. When he took over the pub sold only beer and wines, drawing its main custom from the nearby brick fields. Beer was enjoyed in the pub itself, or jugs were sent to the fields, bills becoming payable on the very next pay day.
Some time after the war the pub was granted a full licence, and became very busy with custom from those working on the first houses and roads of the New Town development.

The Sebright Arms (Marlowes)


SITUATED on the corner of Alma Road and Marlowes, this inn stood in what was known as Cheapside. It was so named to honour the contribution to Hemel Hempstead, of Sir John Sebright, who in 1831, put up £13,000 of his own money to fund an infirmary for the town. This we know today as Cheere House. One interesting note is that during the Second World War, the government decreed that all lights would be covered by one hour after sunset. The first person to fall foul of this ruling in Hemel, was one William Studd, landlord of the Sebright Arms.
Another interesting owner was one Joe Davison, who took over the pub having finished his career at Watford Football Club. The inn was eventually demolished during the 1960’s to make way for the new Civic Centre.

The Shah (Chapel Street)


FORMER public house of Chapel Street, in the Old Town area of Hemel.

The Six Bells


Stood at bottom of Bury Road and was demolished to make way for warners End Road in the early 1950s. It was believed to be over 300 years old.

To return to the pubs homepage, click here
 
 

Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.