Historical pictures of pubs in Watford

From shops and cinemas to views of roads that have often changed beyond recognition, we hope you are continuing to enjoy these images and they bring back some memories.

Having revisited some of them towards the end of last year, here are a batch of pubs from the past together with the captions kindly provided by the museum’s volunteer archivist Christine Orchard.

Golden Lion

The Golden Lion c1930 (Image: Watford Museum)

Christine said: “The Golden Lion in Estcourt Road first opened as a beer house in June 1867 and must have been one of the first buildings on the Estcourt estate. The following year a licencing application was made and the area was described as a ‘very rising neighbourhood’ and that ‘whole the estate would built over in the course of time’.

“In the late 1800s, the pub name was often mentioned in adverts in the Watford Observer as a place to apply to purchase ‘a number of new sheep hurdles’, and also where small auctions were held.

“Although the Golden Lion is a Benskin's pub, in this 1930's photograph it wasn't built for them as the company was not formed until November 1867 when Joseph Benskin bought the Cannon Brewery.”

The Stag

The Stag c1930. (Image: Watford Museum)

Christine said: “There has been a pub at the corner of St Albans Road and Leavesden Road since the early 1840s, and was known as the Queens Arms beer house – at this time the few buildings on St Albans Road were clustered around the newly opened railway. The building we see today, however, wasn’t constructed until the 1850s.

“This pub was first known as the Bricklayers Arms, but soon changed to the Queen's Bays. By 1884 it had become the Stag and it retained this name for many years.

“Although the pub has a different name today, you can still see a stag, in terracotta, on the corner of the pub. This photograph dates from around the 1930s and is part of the Museum’s Benskin’s photo collection.

One Crown

The One Crown c1930 (Image: Watford Museum)

Christine said: “The One Crown is believed to be the oldest public house in Watford. In 1756 Jeremiah Friend, who owned the building, was recorded as being the landlord and this may be when the pub first opened.

“The building itself, which is nationally listed, is much older and parts dates back to the 16th century. This photograph was taken in the 1930s and is part of the Museum's Benskin’s photo collection.”

Three Tuns

The Three Tuns c1930 (Image: Watford Museum)

Christine said: “The Three Tuns was at 205 High Street which is almost opposite the Museum. It was closed in the late 1970s and later demolished when this part of the High Street was widened.

“Like many pubs the Three Tuns had rooms for hire. Just some of events mentioned in the Watford Observer in the late 1800s included the meetings of the newly formed Watford Ornithological Club and the Three Tuns Harmonic Club.

“The rooms must have been quite extensive as, every year, Benskins held an anniversary supper for their Cannon Brewery Sick Benefit Club - in 1890 about 70 sat down to a meal. However, the pub they knew probably looked different to that in the photograph.

“This image dates to around 1930 and it is known that substantial alterations to the pub occurred in the early 1900s. The image is part of the Museum’s collection of Benskin’s pubs photographs.”

Victoria Tavern

The Victoria Tavern in the early 20th century (Image: Watford Museum)

Christine said: “This pub on the corner of Queens Road and Queens Place was originally called the Tantivy and was built about 1873 for Frederick Sedgwick. In the same year, Sedgwick revived an old-fashioned method of transport by running a four-horse coach service, named 'Tantivy', between Watford and Piccadilly in London.

“A Watford Observer reader wrote to the editor stating that the new service would be "an agreeable change now and then for the hard, thumping, shaking, iron-horse". (The iron-horse being the train). It is believed Sedgwick gave his new pub this name as a celebration of the service. However, the coach never ran from here but from the Rose and Crown in the High Street.

“The pub's name has changed over the years. In this photograph from the early 1900s it had become the Victoria Tavern. When Sedgwick's were bought out by Benskins in 1923, the pub retained the name. Later the 'Tantivy' name was revived before finally it became the New Victoria. Today a block of flats stands in its place but the original name survives as Tantivy Court.”