A shop now stands in this prominent location in the centre of Watford but for more than 200 years beforehand it was a pub with a little window on the side of the building.
The Watford Observer has again teamed up with Watford Museum and is delighted to showcase some pictures from its archive - this week it’s The Compasses.
The museum's volunteer archivist Christine Orchard said: "The Compasses public house (later the Joseph Benskin) was on the corner of the High Street and Market Street. The pub closed around 1980 and is now a shop.
"The building we see today was constructed around 1928 and replaced that shown in the photograph at the top of this page.
The rebuilt Compasses in c1930
"There had been a pub here in the early 18th century and by 1740 it was described as having '5 large vessels in the cellar or vault with a brewhouse attached'.
"The little window that can be seen on the side of the current building would have belonged to this early building."
Watford Museum is now open Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. No booking is necessary but Covid prevention measures are still in place to keep visitors safe.
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