CAMPAIGN FOR REAL ALE
What s in a pub name?
T
he great and diverse pub scene that we are able to see in Leek today is a microcosm of the wider UK pub scene as a whole. Many towns have lost their array of differing styles of drinking establishments and although Leek has certainly lost some, it has also retained enough for us to be lucky enough to enjoy every day. You only have to look at the diverse range of pub names in our wonderful town to have a mini glimpse of British life, with a bit of history and heritage thrown into the mix for good measure. We have an example of the most common British pub name in The Red Lion in Market Place. The Red Lion is a popular feature on many heraldic Coats of Arms and was used as an easily recognizable pictorial sign outside inns and taverns before most ordinary folk could read and write. In a recent CAMRA survey, there are reckoned to be around 600 Red Lions still trading as public houses throughout the UK. Our very own Leek example has the obvious layout of a former coaching inn, where horsedrawn Royal Mail coaches would call, not only to drop off and collect important mail connecting the business and commerce of the day to other towns but to offer rest and refreshment to weary human travellers and horses alike. While most places have lost their historic coaching inns, The Red Lion together with the nearby Roebuck in Derby Street are quite easy to spot as former coaching inns and stand out from other pubs, as they both have a tall archway leading to a sizeable rear yard which would allow for the stabling of horses, while the building itself would often have several floors above the pub and outbuildings at the rear to accommodate the many travellers passing through. Until fairly recently Leek had a
pub with the second most common name in the UK (according to CAMRA figures) in The Royal Oak, which was situated on Buxton Road, on ground now occupied by the Pharmacy, between the Park Medical Practice and the Lidl store. A nod to Royalty is always a common theme in pub names and Leek still has a couple in that category. The Prince of Wales on the Wallbridge estate, which was obviously named after Prince Charles, as it was being built around the time of his investiture to inherit the title of the reigning monarch s eldest son in 1969. The new pub actually opened its doors the following year. The Blue Mugge on the corner of Osborne Street and Queen Street was formally called The Queen s Arms, again after being built around the time of Queen Victoria s accession the throne in 1837. Pubs are often named after skilled trade names and local occupations. Once again Leek has its very own examples of this theme in The Dyers Arms named after the extensive silk dyeing trade for which Leek became famous and is the only example of this pub name in the UK. The Silk Mill in Market Street and The Old Mill in Heywood Street and the new Mulberry Leaves near Sainsbury s have been named with a reference to Leeks former mighty silk industry. In case you didn t know, silkworms feed solely off mulberry leaves and many were commercially farmed in large glasshouses to provide a ready supply of silk for Leeks mills. And although a fairly newcomer to the Leek pub scene, The Cobblers in Russell Street is so named as it stands on the site of a former cobblers shop. Famous people, particularly politicians and military big hitters also feature in some of our local pub names. Obvious examples are The Wellington in Wellington Street, is named after The Duke of Wellington famed for commanding the victorious British troops at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, which in
present day Belgium. The Earl Grey on Ashbourne Road (which incidentally is soon to reopen) is probably named after the 1st Charles Grey (1729 1807) who fought in the American war of independence. His son the 2nd Earl Charles Grey, Baronet of Howick (1767 1845) was a Wig politician who rose to become Prime Minister in the 1830 s and was responsible for sweeping changes in British political life, including the Great Reform Act 1830, the Abolition of Slavery Act 1833 and went on to start a whole raft of reforms that led to various employment acts which eventually led to the end of child labour in the mines and factories. The Wilkes Head in St Edward Street is named after the member of parliament John Wilkes (1725 1798). He was famed for his controversial speeches and pamphlets which were mainly aimed against the rich and privileged classes, which got him into trouble on numerous occasions. The name Wilkes Head is spelt in slightly different ways in various places in and around the pub and in other publications, which can all be considered correct in different contextual circumstances. A more detailed biography of John Wilkes can be found on the wall to the left of the bar inside. The Abbey Inn at Abbey Green and The Priory on Abbots Road indicate Leeks historical ecclesiastical connection with the monks of former Dieulaclres Abbey which was destroyed during the ablution of the monasteries by Henry 8th. So you see Leek really does have it all, with a great and diverse range of pubs and bars, a great range and choice of beer, cider, wines, spirits and cocktails, and a great sense of our own industrial, political and military heritage but most of all, pride in our own town. Cheers! Steve Barton Chairman of the Staffordshire Moorlands branch of CAMRA
