‘The Winged Spur’ formerly ‘The Catherlough Arms’
In 1779 Henry Bristow, a cordwainer (shoemaker) by trade, left his premises to his two daughters Mary and Ann for their use until Ann became 21 or married; the property then went to his son, William Bristow. The premises were described as consisting of a house, stable, outbuildings, garden and a yard at the back of the house [DR225/3]. A schedule of deeds and documents [DR225/107] relating to the Winged Spur cite Henry Bristow’s Will, which suggests that his property was either the present day ‘Winged Spur’, or a previous house on the site. Henry could have been running an Inn or it is possible that he was selling excess beer, which he had brewed, to neighbours and travellers from his house. In the eighteenth century ale could be sold in a cottage or a farmhouse as long as the householder was licensed to sell ale from his premises.
Henry Bristow was licensed to sell ale from his premises. Under the Alehouse Act of 1552 any person who wanted to sell ale had to be licensed by a Justice of the Peace at the Quarter Sessions. They had to enter into a bond, or ‘recognizance’; the victualler had to pledge to abide by the Act and maintain good behaviour in his alehouse. Henry would have had to attend the Quarter Sessions of the Barlichway Hundred to obtain his licence. A register of Victuallers’ Recognizances is available to view at Warwick County Record Office [QS36] and from these records we can see that Henry was licensed in 1768, and every year from 1772 until 1778 (the records for 1769-1771 are missing but it is likely that he was licensed through this period as well). Henry appeared to be selling ale from his house, whilst still carrying on his trade as a cordwainer; he left his stock of leather, tools of the trade and wearing apparel to his son William, as well as a feather bed.
For a while it looked as though William Bristow continued in the same role as his father; working as a cordwainer whilst also selling ale. He was licensed to sell ale in 1779, 1780 and 1781. However in 1782 he sold the premises to his father-in-law, Thomas Fitter, also a cordwainer [DR225/107]. From 1782 to 1784 a Humphry Fitter is licensed to sell ale in Ullenhall. Thomas Fitter had a son called Humphry, so this may have been his son and perhaps Humphry was now living at the premises.
It is not clear why William decided to sell the property to his father-in-law. Perhaps he had wanted to leave, or perhaps he was experiencing financial difficulties; in 1784 a bankruptcy notice appeared in the London Gazette regarding a William Bristow, cordwainer late of Ullenhall:
“Whereas a Commission of Bankrupt is awarded and issued forth against William Bristow, late of Ullenhall in the Parish of Wootton Wawen in the County of Warwick, Cordwainer, Dealer and Chapman, and he being declared a Bankrupt, is hereby required to surrender himself to the Commissioners in the said Commission named, or the major Part of them, on the 25th and 26th of June instant, and on the 24th of July next, at Ten o’Clock in the Forenoon, on each Day, at the Bell Inn, in Tamworth,[probably Tanworth] Warwickshire, and make a full Discovery and Disclosure of his Estate and Effects; when and where the Creditors are to come prepared to prove their Debts, . . .” [London Gazette 8/6/1784].
There was also a bankruptcy notice for a William Bristow in 1786, but by 1785 William Bristow had returned to the property and he continued being licensed as a victualler in Ullenhall until 1800. During this period the Chapelwardens held one of their meetings at ‘William Bristows’, which suggests that it could have been an Inn. At these meetings the Chapelwardens for the hamlet were elected yearly by their fellow ratepayers to fulfil the duties of these posts; and their accounts were approved. Meetings had also been held at Henry Bristow’s in 1776 and William Bristow’s in 1782: “April 1st 1782 – Then a General Meeting held at William Bristows by the Inhabitants of Ullenhall the Accts of John Tarlton and Rich Smith Chappelwardens from Easter 1781 to Easter 1782 the accounts are as followes . . .” [DR35]
In his will of 1797 Thomas Fitter [DR1110/12] left his property “. . . four messuages or tenements . . . situate and being at Ullenhall” to William for his life time, and then to his son and nephew, Humphrey and William Fitter. One of these properties consisted of a house, brewhouse and stable which William Bristow himself occupied.
In 1801 William Bristow and his wife Mary, with the agreement of Humphrey and William Fitter, sold the properties to Thomas Payton and his wife, Betty. In these documents the properties are described as “. . . the said new erected and built messuage or tenement with the Brewhouse, Stable and Pigsty . . . theretofore in the possession of Wm Bristow but then of Thos Payton together with the garden lands . . . and also all those the three other messes or tenements before mentd to have been erected and built by Thos Fitter . . .”[DR886/16]. The document seems to indicate that the three other cottages were erected and built by Thomas Fitter, and seems to suggest that the Inn was newly erected. Thomas Fitter may have also built the Inn, but it is not clear. The building does look as though it dates from the last half of the eighteenth century, and its design does suggest that it was purpose built as an Inn.
Chapelwardens’ meetings continued to be held at Thomas Payton’s; but Thomas died around 1803 and in 1804 his widow sold the properties to Robert Knight (of Barrells) for £445.
Robert Knight’s tenant was John Greaves. It is at this point that we can link the name ‘Catherlough Arms’ to the premises. The practice of recording the name of the Alehouse in the Register of Victuallers’ Recognizances only began in 1801 and slowly became the norm. In 1805 we first find mention of the Catherlough Arms, with John Greaves being the licensee.
St. Marks’ Charity also held their meetings at a local Inn. Bread, cheese and ale would be provided for the meetings, and sometimes pipes and tobacco. In 1805 £1 9s 0d was paid for bread, cheese and ale at the meeting [WCRO – CR2044/6]. John Greaves died in 1806, but his widow Mary continued to run the Catherlough Arms until her death in 1815. Meetings were still held at ‘Widow Greaves’s’.
Records show that John Turner was running the Catherlough Arms from 1815 to 1818, but then the trail goes cold. The Chapelwardens stopped holding their meetings at an Inn, in 1819 meeting in the church vestry instead. The Registers of Victuallers’ Recognizances up until 1828 do not seem to list anyone for Ullenhall, which would mean that no one was licensed to sell ale. Perhaps there was no public house for a period of time, but it does seem strange.
The Victuallers’ Recognizances records from 1829 to 1833 are missing, but in 1834 Samuel Johns was shown to be licensed [ER10/12/5]. By this point the name had changed from ‘The Catherlough Arms’ to the ‘Spur’. The registers (although not complete) indicate that Samuel Johns was licensed at least up until 1844, when again the registers are missing. Samuel was a wheelwright by trade; in 1841 he was 40 years old and had a wife Maria, and three young daughters, Alice, Louisa and Emma [1841 census]. The tithe map of 1843 showed that Robert Knight was still the owner of the Spur with Samuel Johns being the occupier [WCRO CR0569/278]. Samuel also owned his own property, described on the tithe schedule as a house, garden and shop; this property was located on the triangle of land where the house Westfield now stands. He was also farming; on the 1836 jurors’ list his business is ‘farmer’, and the tithe schedule shows that he rented various fields in Ullenhall.
Each year Samuel had to travel to Stratford-upon-Avon to attend the General Annual Licensing of Alehouses sessions, which was held at the Shakespeare Inn, usually in August or September. The Justices of the Peace would decide whether he was a fit and proper person to hold a licence. He had to abide by the rules, for example in 1840 all the licensees were warned that if gaming was permitted for money or beer their licence would be refused [ER10/12/8]. Opening hours were also regulated. Following an Act of Parliament the Justices of the Peace in 1836 stated that “. . . the hours at which Houses and Premises licensed to sell Beer . . . shall be opened and closed shall be as follows (viz) that no such House shall be opened for the sale of Beer before six o’clock in the morning nor kept open after nine o’clock at night between Michaelmas and Lady Day and ten o’clock at night between Lady Day and Michaelmas on any day whatsoever; And that no such House shall be so opened before one o’clock nor kept open between the hours of three and five in the afternoon nor at any other time during divine service on any Sunday, Good Friday, Christmas-day, or any day appointed for a Public Faith or Thanksgiving”. [ER10/12/6]. Michaelmas Day is the 29th September, and Lady Day is the 25th March.
Records of the Recognizances for this area are missing after 1844. In 1848 we find reference to the ‘Spur Inn, Ullenhall’, when an auction of two cottages, and wheelwright’s and blacksmith’s shops was held there [DR134/77/10]. This was actually Samuel Johns’ property as he was planning to leave the area. In 1849 he was living in Lapworth [Jurors’ List] at Bear House Farm [1851 census].
With the exception of the Chapel, the local Inn or Alehouse was the only building for the public to be able to gather in so auctions, inquests and meetings were usually held at an Inn. St. Mark’s Charity was still meeting at the Spur: “1840 – At a Meeting held this day at the Spur Inn Ullenhall by adjournment from Ullenhall Chapel the foregoing accounts were examined and allowed . . .” [WCRO-CR2044/7]. The Spur was probably a more convivial place to hold a meeting than the Chapel, but in the Account Books there was a note dated July 1851 “I shall protest against the charge of £1 15s 0d for the use of the room. The business might be conducted in the Chapel”. In 1852 the meeting was held in the Vestry Room at the Chapel, but some later meetings were still held at the Spur.
In White’s Directory of Warwickshire of 1850 William Cox was listed as “victualler and cattle dealer Spur Inn”, whilst the 1851 Census listed William Stephens, Licensed Victualler, as Head and William Cox, butcher, as his brother-in-law.
On the death of Robert Knight the Spur Public House featured in the 1856 auction of the Estate:
“Lot 14: The Spur Inn, a Valuable Freehold Public House . . . containing five bedrooms, bar-parlour, kitchen, brewhouse and cellars, stabling and offices opposite, also a cottage and garden.
The whole containing One Rood and Eleven Perches . . . In the occupation of Mr Robert Tatham.” [DR57/23].
The cottage and garden referred to stood on the site of Meadow Rise. The stabling and offices appear to refer to Walmer and St. Anthony’s Cottages, however these are described as two cottages and garden on tithe schedule of 1842. According to the Barrells Estate Sale of 1924 these two cottages did have a stable between them.
The Spur Inn was purchased by Rev. H. C. Knight who, in 1859, sold “. . . The Spur Inn . . . together with the Stables and garden . . . situate on the opposite side of the road . . .” [DR225/41] to his tenant James Salt for £250. James Salt, who came from a local farming family, lived at the Spur with his sister, Felicia, her husband William Turner and their daughter Sarah [1861 census].
“Friday, the 23rd instant, was a day of unusual interest in this quiet little village, being the first attempt to establish a Thanksgiving Service and Public Harvest Home Fete. . . . Mr Salt, landlord of the Spur, provided an excellent luncheon between the services, to which a large party of ladies and gentlemen did ample justice. . . .” [The Royal Leamington Spa Courier and Warwickshire Standard 1/10/1859].
On the death of James Salt in 1869 the Turners took over the running of the pub. The Spur may have been quite a busy establishment with meetings and social gatherings; in June 1880 from twenty to thirty members of the Ullenhall branch of the Independent Mutual Brethren Friendly Society dined there [Ullenhall Parish Magazine August 1880].
It was around this time that moves were made to provide an alternative to pubs. During the mid-19th Century the Temperance movement became popular and Coffee Houses were established as a place for people to socialize. A Coffee House was built in Ullenhall in 1883. It is interesting to note that in 1886 the Ullenhall Temperance Society had 71 adult total abstainers [Ullenhall Parish Magazine August 1886]. It is not known whether this had a significant effect on the Spur!
As well as being listed as the innkeeper on the 1871 census William Turner was also a baker, and in Kelly’s Directory of 1884 he was listed as a farmer. He was not unusual in this as many rural publicans had more than one source of income. Like Samuel Johns and the other landlords before him William Turner had to be careful about what activities he allowed on his premises:
“Henley-in-Arden – Petty Sessions. William Turner, of the Spur Inn, Ullenhall, was summoned for allowing card-playing for money or monies worth, at his house on the 13th inst. Defendant denied the offence, stating they were playing for nothing. P.C. Sharratt and P.C. Hinde (who had evidently been sent on purpose), proved the case, and defendant was fined 6s. 6d., and cost 13s. 6d., which he paid”. [Leamington Spa Courier 27/09/1884].
William Turner died in 1886 and the Licence was transferred to his wife Felicia, who continued to run it for a further three years. Her listing in the 1888 Kelly’s Directory was “Felicia Turner – Spur Inn and farmer”. It had not been a profitable enterprise, when he died William had been considered insolvent. In March 1889 their daughter Sarah married William Benjamin Smith, a farmer from Kings Norton, and later that year she entered into a lease agreement with Flower & Sons of Stratford-on-Avon, Brewers:
“This Indenture made the second day of October one thousand eight hundred and eighty nine between Sarah Smith . . . and Flower and Sons Limited of Stratford on Avon . . . that in consideration of the sum of seven hundred and twenty pounds to the lessor . . . she the lessor doth hereby grant . . . the “Wings and Spur”. . . . To hold the said premises unto the lessees from the twenty ninth day of September One thousand eight hundred and eighty nine for the term of twenty one years . . . .Yielding and paying therefore unto the Lessor the annual rent of one peppercorn. . . . nothing herein contained shall prevent the Lessees from underletting the said premises to respectable tenants. . . .” [DR227/187/62]
Walter Walker was considered a respectable tenant; he took over the tenancy after retiring from Barrells Hall where he had worked as a Butler. He lived at the ‘Wings and Spur’ with his wife, Mary, and four children, Alice (21), Julia (18), Walter William (10) and Constance (3) [1891 census].
In 1906 “The Wings & Spur” was offered for sale:
“Sale of a “Well-known public house “The Wings and Spur” at Ullenhall. To be sold by auction by Mssrs Hutton, Thompson & Colbourne (by order of the Mortgages). Thurs March 8th 1906.
Fully licensed freehold property known as
“The Wings and Spur Inn”
Situate in the Centre of the Village of Ullenhall on the Road leading from Wootton Wawen to Beoley, and commanding the trade of a very extensive district, there being no other Fully-licensed House within a radius of 2 miles.
The house contains Large Sitting Room, Bar Parlour, Tap Room, Kitchen and Pantry, 3 bedrooms, 2 attics, and capital cellarage, coal house and out offices, and is let to Messrs. FLOWERS & SONS, for the residue of a repairing lease, expiring on Sept 29th, 1910, at a peppercorn rent.
The Property stands in close proximity to the New North Warwickshire Railway now in course of construction, which cannot fail to enhance its value, and there is every prospect the House will command a substantial premium and a good rental at the end of the existing lease”.
[DR 165/1096]
It was presumably bought at this time by the Newton family of Barrells Hall as it featured in their Estate sale of 1924. Walter Walker continued as landlord and the 1911 census shows that he was assisted by his son William and daughter Constance. As all the landlords before him, Walter Walker had to be careful and make sure that he was adhering to the law. An error in 1913 resulted in a summons to the Henley-in-Arden Division of the Police Courts:
“Child Supplied With Beer – Walter Walker, of the Wing and Spur Inn, Ullenhall, was summoned for allowing Alice Maud Boneham, aged 10 and three quarter years, to be served with a pint of beer in an unsealed vessel, at 7.40 p.m., on the 16th inst. Defendant was represented by his daughter, who explained that her father was too unwell to attend. Miss Walker expressed her regret at the occurrence, and said she admitted that she forgot to seal the bottle on this occasion, although she usually did so. Children were so rarely sent to the house that the matter quite escaped her attention. Her father had kept the house for 23 or 24 years. – In reply to Mr. Couchman, Inspector Wright said the child had a loaf of bread in the bag, but it was some time before she would admit that it contained anything else. – The Chairman said more care must be taken in future, and defendant was adjudged to pay 3s. 6d. as a fine, with 7s. costs, and 1s. 6d. additional expenses for a witness (12s. in all)”. [Leamington Courier 31/1/1913].
In 1918 Walter Walker died aged 80, and the tenancy passed to his son William. William had been a gardener at Barrells Hall. He was a bell-ringer and a member of the church choir. It was very much a family concern with William’s sister Constance, her husband Thomas Frederick Lenton and their daughter, Madeline, living there. Madeline recalled her time at the Spur. “I was born on the 24th November 1913 and lived at the Winged Spur with my Grandfather, uncle and mother. My father was a sergeant in the army so I did not see much of him. The house was quite primitive with outside toilets, kitchen and bedroom accommodation. My father was a saddler and worked at Henley-in-Arden. My mother helped look after the Winged Spur”.
Whilst William was landlord the Winged Spur once again was put up for sale, part of the Barrells Estate Sale of 1924:
“Lot 15.
The Well-known Freehold Public House Called “The Winged Spur Inn,”
Built of brick and tile, and containing two Public Rooms, Tap Room, Scullery, Pantry, two Cellars, three Bedrooms, two Attics, Yard and Outoffices, let to Mr. William Walker as annual Tenant, Michaelmas enry, at the apportioned rent of £29 0s. 0d. per annum, payable quarterly, Tenant paying all rates and taxes; also the brick and tile double-fronted cottage adjoining the above, containing two Sitting Rooms, Kitchen, two Pantries, three Bedrooms, Outoffices, and large Garden, in the occupation of John Hawker, employed on the Estate. Area about acres .214 or
0a. 0r. 34p.
REMARKS.-The above is let at a most inadequate rent, and by judicious enlargement and reconstruction could be made into a valuable property”.
The Winged Spur continued to be tied to Flower & Sons so it is possible that the Brewery bought the property at this point. The double-fronted cottage stood where the car park now is, it had been the home of the village blacksmith. The Newtons had also purchased this cottage. By 1938 this cottage had been demolished to make way for the car park.
In the 1930s William Walker and his family left The Winged Spur and Sydney Payne became landlord [Kelly’s Directory 1932]. Sydney Payne died in 1933. He was followed by Harry Lawrence ‘Lol’ Hunt. Lol Hunt and his wife had two daughters Elizabeth, baptized in Ullenhall on 12th May 1935, and Barbara, baptized 27th September 1936. He was landlord during the second world war and on some occasions, if there was the threat of an air raid, a few of the schoolchildren would be sent to take shelter in the cellar of the pub:
“There were air raids and the children were dispersed to their houses. Me, my sister and two others were sometimes sent to the cellar of the Winged Spur – but we were too young to take advantage of this!” – Jim Perrigo.
The Winged Spur became owned by Whitbread Flowers Ltd when Flowers was taken over by Whitbread Breweries in 1961.
In the 1960s the pub was run by the “ . . . genial Dick Oldfield, followed by Jack Hoad and his very smartly dressed wife, who would only serve customers in the ‘lounge bar’” [Miles Macnair – Ullenhall Parish Magazine Oct/Nov 2008]. At this time the pub had a separate lounge and public bar, entered through separate doors at the front of the building. Access to the public bar was through a door which was located to the left of the left hand bay window; this was blocked up in the early 1980s [82/00564/FUL – planning application]. The lounge bar was entered through another door at the front of the building, on the right hand side, but set back from the road. This door was removed in the mid 1990s when the building was slightly extended [96/01360/FUL – planning application]. During its over 200 years the building has had several alterations, many of which can be seen when comparing old photographs of the pub.
The Hoad’s daughter, Susan, helped to serve behind the bar, and, after entering the ‘Ideal Barmaid Contest’, featured in a 1968 newspaper advertisement for Whitbread – ‘How to choose your beer and chat-up our barmaids’ – perhaps of its time! In July 1979, after twelve years in charge, Jack and Betty Hoad gave up the tenancy.
Mr and Mrs Hoad were followed for a short time by John Fletcher but he died in 1981. Roger and Jackie Weatherall, who had been running The Boot at Mappleborough Green, took over. They were a very popular couple and owned a couple of racehorses, Mister Boot and Winged Spur. They lived at White Cottage with their red setter dog, Jasper. Jackie was very involved in the Ullenhall Players and entertained many with her performances. Although Roger had been ill for some time it was still a shock to the village when he died in 1991. Jackie decided to leave a few months later and ‘The Winged Spur’ was taken on by Paul and Veronica White.
In 2004 the Winged Spur became part of Enterprise Inns with new leasees, Clive Minshell and Mary Jones. The pub was once again altered with, in response to the 2007 legislation banning smoking in pubs, the building of a large smoking area at the rear of the property by the entrance. It became popular with the Wythall Young Farmers.
The Winged Spur closed in Feb/March 2011 until new tenant, Gary Meads, took over with a manager in place. It had an internal face lift and reopened in October of that year. The exterior was repainted in summer 2012 and a newly designed Inn sign was erected. Gary Meads gave up the tenancy and in April 2013 it was taken on by brothers Liam and Scott (who had been the chef). They left in July 2014. New tenants Heather and Tom took over but they left in October 2014. The pub was open during 2015 (but we don’t know the name of the tenants who left early 2016). The property was sold in September 2016 and in October that year was advertised to be let. It was refurbished in 2017, including being painted in a new exterior colour, and reopened.
10/2018