A Hucknall History

Pubs & Licensed Clubs

The Miners Arms

Beliefs maintained idea this had been a grandly styled house for the Old Hucknall Colliery pit manager, from when Mellors pit was sited opposite on bottom of Blackwell Road. A stream running through large rear grounds actually defined the county borderline adjacent Derbyshire. This placed The Miners Arms last in line when connecting Huthwaite with water, gas and electricity supplies.

This past pubs vaguely recorded identity can definitely start with Jeremiah Stocks. Census identifies his 1881 Pit Row family home, helpfully titling him Miners Arms beer house keeper. Thomas Elvidge is simply listed as the next found 1891 beer retailer, confirmed by 1894 directory asserting publican status. Sign isn't further recognised to fully confirm any earlier names of even potential later keepers up to an unverified year of brewery buyout.   Discovering reported 1933 death of Isaiah Pitchford manages to assert year from when he was publican 20 years before retiring. And this did raise interest related through Great Grandchildren.

Mr Tony Mellors shared scene through marital ties with the featured Pitchford family. Isaiah and wife Mary nee Brailsford, are shown with their children named Harold and Florence. Descendants were led into believing group fronts an original Miners Arms.

Presentation of a large detached public house must therefore now suggest final results of a Home Brewery conversion based upon humbler sized dwellings. My fathers seventies camera captures rear view of a long familiar premises, when showing three chimney stacks indicates conjoining at least two houses.

A separate roadside toilet block was situated front right. Its very unfortunate not finding any photos exposing that frontage even after necessity of adding a sheltered walkway to very basically comply with eighties legal requirements.

The Miners' Arms was known kept in 1932 by George Davis, but for some reason loses recognition through final gazetteer years. A lack of gas street lighting is found causing 1932 concerns for the landlord. Urban Councillors sought to remedy that poorly lit corner, before enquiring to see if Brewery owners would repair badly kept fencing more dangerously threatening pedestrians.

Living memories ought to offer full term keep if recalling start of many years keep by Yates. Hosting circa 1957 presentation to Cllr Roy Elliott plus a competitive flower show identifies landlord Baron Yates, with his distinctive Dicky Bow tie behind wife Edith. Following Baron's death, Mrs Yates singly continued serving as landlady until the 1987 brewery sell out. This eventually gave her recognition having been the oldest known publican. Bar room had featured a caged mynah bird sat on counter end. That very vocally entertained front door entry or exits, until 1980's Health & Safety demanded removal. The old fireplace retained signs of a rather high tide mark, proving low roadside positioning had witnessed some very heavy flooding.

Godfrey's

Under new ownership and after extensive modification the licensed premises reopened for business somewhere around 1990. Run by and personalised through renaming of Godfreys may arguably mark this pubs peak popularity. A frontal extension ensured all existing facilities were entirely integral and much more comfortably appointed. A large rear dining conservatory was fed by adding a fully equipped kitchen offering home cooked menu options, aside an entirely open plan layout all served from a central island bar.

Common mock Tudor pub facade became themed throughout with interior wall decor, plus low ceiling beams disguising structural need for steel girders. Original open fireplace offered a more charmingly refashioned focal point, and if an excellent choice of real cask ales didn't entice a broader range of visitors into this Free House, then regular quiz nights or staging weekend live entertainment realised attempts to profitably generate interests.

Dating years and naming subsequent landlady and landlord changes always eludes an otherwise good memory. Whether occupation was by one person, a whole family or business couples, all were eager to encourage or introduce more profitable custom, with varying notoriety shortening some terms.

The Miners

Changing sign name to 'The Miners' extended initial restaurant success despite broadening pub competition, by drawing dining customers from off the Fulwood Industrial Estate. Some tenants enjoyed louder but far cosier party atmospheres. Original Miners Arms sign later returned, although shooting a 2003 revamp from where a past row of similarly aged colliery worker cottages had stood, gives reason why Huthwaite folk always called this pub 'Pit Row'. That was in fact their earliest census addressing.

Garden seating and a better car parking area tried to compensate for a broadening slump in trade. Remote location couldn't find much passing custom, and a long steep walk up Blackwell Road was enough to put off returns by Huthwaite drinkers, who still had dwindling choice of competitively refitted pubs closer home.

Some of the temporary closures were caused by disasters beyond any landlords control. Sand bagging the front doorway largely resisted flood water entering from the roadway. A car somehow managed to collide with the left corner, and charred frontage reported a lucky save from fire, claimed started by a faulty electrical appliance.

Nonetheless, passing interest sighted yet another 2005 closure for further refurbishment. February 2008 eventually dates when the Enterprise Inn Company finally added another inevitable pub closure to an even longer Huthwaite list.

These premises set in large grounds were purchased for private use in 2009. Since then the Miners Arms address at 222 Blackwell Road recognises a somewhat unique pub transformation, having since reverted back into a much enlarged personal residence.