ANCHOR Wharf Lane, Solihull

Listed in the Warwickshire Directory of 1874, it closed in 1937. The site and the neighbouring Gas works was redeveloped as a large Office complex for West Midlands Gas. In the 1970's this was the largest open plan office in Europe. The whole site has now been redeveloped for housing.

_{The Anchor from "Solihull A Pictorial History" by Sue Bates}

BELL Wharf Lane, Lapworth

The Bell Inn was on the Warwick Turnpick (now the old Warwick Road) between Hatton and Hockley Heath. It opened about 1801 and finally closed in May 1909.

Bird in the Hand, Henley in Arden

After closing as a pub it was converted to the Spice Room restaurant and then the Finest catch Fish restaurant. The restaurant is now closed and up for sale.

Bird in the Hand, Lapworth

Existed from about 1700 to 1890.

BYRON'S High Street, Solihull

One of Solihull's oldest buildings, it opened as a wine bar in 1973. Later changed its name to RAISON D'ETRE. It closed in 2000 before opening as a shop as part of the development of the Touchwood shopping centre in 2001.

CHERRY TREES Lapworth

Across the road from the PUNCHBOWL, the licence was transferred in 1861.

CLOCK INN, Bickenhill

A half-timbered building on the north side of the Coventry road dating back to at least 1672 when the landlord was a Francis Hobby. It was still operating in 1874, when the landlord was Charles Harvey. It was finally demolished to make way for the widening of the A45. Clock

COACH HOUSE, Solihull

A modern pub built following the building of Touchwood. Changed name to Ebb and Flow before closing in June 2017.

COCK INN Stratford Road, Shirley

On the corner of Cock Lane (now Olton Road). Reputedly Prince Rupert, nephew of Charles I, stayed there in 1643 on his way to sack Birmingham for their insurrection against the King in the Civil War.

COCK Horse, Rowington

A 300 year-old pub situated just south of Rowington village on the B4439. This classic country pub closed towards the end of 2012, and was converted to a private house.

ENGINE Hampton in Arden

This building was converted from a private house to a pub following the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century and called the ENGINE AND RAILWAY INN until a least 1874. Closed for a housing redevelopment in 2006.

GARDENERS ARMS High Street, Solihull

Opened in the 1860's, demolished in 1971. The site was then occupied by the CAPTAIN LOCKER, which became the NEVADA BAR in the 1990's, before closing during the Touchwood redevelopment in 2001. It is now a members-only club called the OPAL LOUNGE.

GEORGE & DRAGON High Street, Solihull

Built in the 15th Century, this half-timbered pub with a jettied upper storey stood on the corner of High Street & Mill Lane. Sometime after 1874 it was renamed the MAGPIE, then later the GREEN DRAGON. It was demolished in the 1960's.

_{George & Dragon 1880's from "Solihull A Pictorial History" by Sue Bates}

GOLDEN ARROW Warwick Road, Olton

A modern build M&B pub opened in October 1961. The pub demolished in 2004 to make way for housing.

Golden Cross, Henley in Arden

Was on the corner of High Street and Warwick Road. Closed in 1996, demolished and replaced by flats in 1997.

GREEN MAN Stratford Road, Shirley

So named from 1842 to 1861, then became the TRAVELLERS REST. It was renamed the GEORGE & DRAGON in 1881. The pub closed in 1986, and was then demolished in 1987 to be replaced by an American theme bar called CALENDARS. It was renamed the DALLAS EXCHANGE in 1994, but was demolished in 2005 to make way for a retail development (Porcelanosa).

HILLFIELD HALL, Hillfield, Solihull

The Borough's oldest Tudor hall (built in 1574), it became a restaurant in 1974. The old stables became a pub (called unsurprisingly The STABLES) until 1999, when it was converted to kitchens, and the main hall became a restaurant/pub. The whole complex was closed in 2002 for conversion to flats.

_{Hillfield Hall courtesy Solihull Times}

Hockley Houses, Hockley Heath

This was a large Georgian coaching inn on the Stratford Road.

Missoula Bar High Street, Solihull

The Missoula Bar and nightclub on Solihull High Street dates from the 17th Century. It was originally The Malt Shoval pub and has ungone numerious reincarnations and name changes. it has previously been known as SNOOTY FOX (1978-93), variously as ROSIE O'BRIENS, ROSIE'S PUMP HOUSE, THE PUMP HOUSE (1993-2004), LOAF (2004-2006), POP WORLD, and B91 (briefly around 2009) and THE HOUSE Missoula Bar. Missoula closed on 18th March 2018.

MOONRAKER Gospel Lane, Olton

Renamed ALEXANDERS TAVERN before closing in 2002. It was demolished in 2003 to make way for more housing.

MURPHYS Henley in Arden

Irish style wine bar (!) which opened in the 1990's, renamed HENLEYS in 2002. It became an Italian restaurant in 2006.

Old Colonial, Damsonwood

The Old Colonial was a modern pub on the edge of Damsonwood. It closed in 2009 to become a Bardello Health and fitness club.

_{The Old Colonial}

Old Royal Oak, Hockley Heath

Large pub just outside Hockley Heath, it replaced the original OLD ROYAL OAK which was situated closer to the road. It had a spell as a Greek restaurant bar called the TAVERNA before reverting back to a pub in 1996. In 2006 it closed to become a French-style food shop & restaurant called ORO The Market Place. It was subsequently closed and reopened as a hotel .

OLD TOM Chadwick End

Listed in a Warwickshire Directory of 1874. NB NOT the same pub as the TOM O'BEDLAM which is listed as well.

OLIVERS REAL ALE BAR Station Road, Solihull

A short-lived pub which opened on Station Road in 1993, formerly SHADES WINE BAR. It was renamed HOOTERS in 1994 before becoming a restaurant in 1995.

PAVILION Stratford Road, Monkspath

A separately run bar next to the Regency Hotel opened in 1986. When sold in the 1990's it became an Irish theme pub called MORRISSEYS. In 2004 the bar & hotel were acquired by the Corus Hotel chain. It is now the REGENCY HOTEL BAR used for functions.

Ramada Hotel, New Road, Solihull

As known from 1693 to 1715. Renamed the BELL until 1738 when it's name was changed to the GEORGE HOTEL. It was then renamed the JARVIS INTERNATIONAL HOTEL and now the Ramada Hotel, a sad state of affairs for what was once a prominent local coaching inn, although the original oak beamed bar still exists.

RED LION, Henley in Arden

Closed to become a private dwelling in 1992.

RING O' BELLS Hampton in Arden

Closed in 1939, now housing.

ROYAL OAK Drury Lane, Solihull

On the corner of High Street & Drury Lane, where the travel agent is now, it appears in the Warwickshire Directory of 1874. It was demolished in 1963 when Mell Square was built.

_{The Royal Oak courtesy Solihull News}

SWAN INN Station Road, Solihull

This pub stood on the corner of Poplar Road & Station Road, before becoming a private house in the 19th century. The nearby Wetherspoons adopted the name WHITE SWAN in tribute when it opened in 2004.

TALBOT Ullenhall

Long since disappeared.

TOM O'BEDLAM Chadwick End

It was listed in a Warwickshire Directory of 1874. The original Tom O’ Bedlam pub was attached to Chadwick House in Chadwick End, or to be more precise, Bedlam’s End (see photo at http://rowingtonrecords.com/Houses%20and%20Places/Miscellaneous/index.html). This was demolished and replaced by a new large pub set back from the Warwick road (see photo below). The pub was originally owned by the Thornley Brewery of Leamington Spa. Licensees during this period were 1881 - James Lancaster, 1912 Harry Hunt, and 1940 Charles Albert Cox. Thornley’s ceased brewing in 1968 and most of the 68 pubs were sold to Davenports, however the Tom O’ Bedlam was sold to Ansells. . The pub was used as an Ansells Brewery training centre for a time, before being re-invented as a bar called CUDDLES in 1985. After a short spell as GREGORY'S RESTAURANT & BAR, it became the LION ROCK before being demolished for housing in the 1990's.

UNION Shirley

A beer house on the corner of Stratford Road & Union Road. In 1936 the licence was surrendered in favour of the nearby THREE MAYPOLES. The UNION was demolished in the 1950's after a spell as a sweet factory and store.

VINE INN Knowle

Listed in the Warwickshire Directory of 1874. It closed in 1930 and became the Midland Bank.

WHEATSHEAF Lapworth

Was on Lapworth Hill, it is now a farm. There is a Wheatsheaf Lane near Lapworth Church.

WHITE SWAN Knowle

The White Swan was established as an inn around the middle of the 15th century following the founding of the Guild of St Anne (Knowle) by Walter Cook and six others in 1413. Many members of the guild (an early form of friendly society) had to travel considerable distances to attend meetings in Knowle. Consequently a need arose for an Inn to provide accommodation and sustenance. Hence the establishment of the White Swan Inn. Documents of the medieval period indicate that the land on which the White Swan stood was owned by the Guild itself. The Poll Tax of 1660 reveals that Knowle had two innkeepers, at the White Swan and most probably the adjacent Grade II listed Red Lion, which Historic England describes as “an early 17th century timber framed building”. In 1939, immediately prior to the demolition of the White Swan, it was described as a “late 15th century building with a hall-block between gabled cross-wings, which preserved many of its original features”. In 1879 a sale of furniture from the White Swan included four-poster beds, mahogany and Windsor chairs and “about 18 spittoons”. We can only speculate why a modest inn needed 18 spittoons! From at least as early as 1828 (Pigot’s Directory) until 1850 the licensee was Ann Sowley then there was a succession of landlords until 1900 when William McHardy was described as the proprietor. However, in 1907 he became bankrupt, during the recession that year, according to the Coleshill Chronicle. From the end of World War I until the closure the landlord was Fred Hotchkiss. From late Victorian times until 1928, the Swan Inn was supplied by Lucas & Co Ltd brewery of Leamington Spa. Ansells acquired Lucas and its estate in 1928 and as Ansells already owned the adjacent Red Lion it is no surprise that in 1937 they sold the White Swan as a de-licenced property. The inn was demolished in 1939 with some of the material labelled and carted off by Fletcher’s haulage firm to be stored in a field behind Haycocks farm in Bakers Lane to await re-building at a new site. All the pieces were numbered but unfortunately due to the intervention of the 2nd World War they were overlooked and used in the renovation of an adjacent house and possibly other buildings too. However, one item from the White Swan has survived and that is the splendid sign which now adorns the Red Lion. The illustration is taken from a colourised postcard of about 1900 clearly showing the sign with the Red Lion beyond.