CHESTERFIELD PUBS: The Badger to Byron's Head

RED PUBS are closed

GREEN PUBS are open but have had their names changed

BLUE PUBS are still open

BADGER, The; 81 Brockwell Lane, Chesterfield. Opened in the mid-1960s to service the growing estates around Loundsley Green and Brockwell. With its large lounge and functional Tap Room it has a traditional “estate pub” feel, with a good crowd of regulars and its own football team which plays on a pitch behind the pub. BAR 69; Corporation Street, Chesterfield.

Converted from the Kiwi Café and adjacent shops. Converters spent all their money on a sound system and could not afford lighting. The "ooh-er" provocative name tells you all you need to know - a dreadful bog-hole that would be immeasurably improved by being converted back into derelict shops. Note the jaunty angles on the litter bin and sapling guard in the photo above, testifying to their use as supports for alcopop-induced knee-tremblers.

I've been sent this comment from one who clearly knows from experience:

Tuesday night at bar 69 is rock and goth night. Pretty much same info applies, but at least the patrons are a little more interesting than the average run of the mill baseball cap and burberry brigade. Chesterfield's premire drinking hole for lovers of designer darkness and sunglasses after dark. So struggle into your tightest jeans and borrow your mums eyeliner and get down with the creatures of the night.

2010: Name changed to Cactus Jack's. Many of the pricks are still on the inside.

BAR CODE; Brewery Street, Chesterfield. A recent conversion of a Baptist Chapel. Even the possibility that this saved the chapel from demolition was no good argument for this place's existence. More promisingly, it became "1492" - a Caribbean restaurant - in 2002, but this venture did not last and the place has been closed since.

BAR ROCKET; 25 Holywell Street, Chesterfield. Once "Norma Jean's". Evidently re-launched and re-decorated by a fan of "Scrapheap Challenge." Decoration became even more industrial when re-branded as "Lyrix" in 2006. BARKER'S BAR; 45 Knifesmithgate, Chesterfield. Formerly King's Head and Boma's Bar; then Nickels Cafe & Bar. Closed and undergoing renovation in April 2011. BARKING BADGER ALEHOUSE; 3 Corporation Street, Chesterfield.

Converted from the Ascot (formerly Clifton) Hotel. The property was originally a doctor's surgery. The little spur off to the left of the photo is a seperate bar called "The Sett," and was once home to the hilariously dreadful “Harvey’s Bar.” A murder took place here about ten years ago when, after an all-nighter in Harvey's Bar, someone was pushed over a wall and onto the nearby inner ring road. The rising March sun gives the roofline a soft focus and reproduces the blurred view of the place enjoyed by many of its younger patrons as they approach. The doormen are at least a bit choosy about who they let in, and the steps up to the front door put off most of the hopelessly pissed. 2006 saw the place hacked about and re-launched as "Arthur's Graveyard," or something. (Actually, "Martha's Vineyard," and about as far removed from the Cape Cod resort as can be imagined. ) BARLEY MOW, The; 52 Saltergate, Chesterfield The Barley Mow held the developers at Wards brewery at bay for a long time: when Don Grace, the landlord, was ordered to redecorate the bar area, the regulars took command and slapped up some Tom & Jerry wallpaper. Don eventually left, though, and the Llewellyn-Bowens of the pub world moved in. I used to be terrified of going into this place: after I’d been in there a few times, though, you couldn’t keep me out. It was full of the strangest-looking set of characters you could imagine. Two delightful, confident barmaids, Pat and Sheila, gave as good as they got. Don’s mock abusiveness of was often hilarious: his sentences would consist of “f” words punctuated by the odd definite article, and he would bid his most cherished regulars farewell with a closing-time call of We’ve had y’ money – now f*** off! While Don thought he ran the pub, of course, his wife Jan kept the whole thing afloat. Like every pub at the time, the Mow was forced to close after lunch, but re-opened at 5.30 every weekday evening. The “crack” was often at its best around this time, as thirsty workers recharged their batteries on their way home. Entering the pub, you were confronted by a small room with a half-round, copper-clad bar to your right. Other rooms led off this: the Menagerie to the left, and the Darts Room beyond that. Beyond the bar, to the right, was the Best Room, which had some ruby red flock wallpaper and carpet for the comfort of the pub’s choosier clientele. The walls of the Menagerie (where the animals lived) were decorated with hundreds of photos of the regulars, invariably drunk and frequently naked. Music was provided by a stereo behind the bar, and customers would often bring in their own tapes to play. Later on, a jukebox succeeded this. Reportedly, the ladies loo never had a light bulb in it. I can speak for the fact that, in summer, the gents was the smelliest, most life-threatening loo in any pub in town. Space was at such a premium that to play the Space Invader machine you had to stand at the door to the gents – a couple of minutes of alien annihilation and you had to sit down. Upstairs, over the darts room, was a small function room used mainly by local “Buffalo” lodges. For quite a while I was mystified by the bloke who came downstairs about once every ten minutes to carry a dozen or more pints back up in an old milk bottle holder. “How the hell can he manage the stairs,” I used to think, “after polishing off that lot?” Sunday lunchtimes would see Don cruise the town centre in his huge red open-topped Cadillac, picking up regulars and taking them to his pub. This tended to start from about half past ten in the morning, and if you weren’t in there by opening time, forget it! Food in the Mow was legendary – Desperate Dan portions of basic but wholesome stuff at almost cost price. Steak pie cooked in Guinness was the house speciality. A woman once came into the Mow “early doors”, bought a drink and went to sit in the Menagerie. She hurried out at once, and approached the barman. “I think you should do something,” she said, “there’s a big, drunk bloke asleep on the floor in there, and he’s got nothing on. I’ve seen it all before,” she continued, “but it might put someone else off. You’d better tell the landlord.” “Madam”, came the reply, “that is the f***ing landlord.”

Apocryphal or not, that story points to a gradual decline in the place as Don neared retirement. I’ve been in twice since it was redeveloped. They’ve not made a bad job, as such, but its just not the same. The place’s great characters – “Brick” McCann, Barney O’Neill, Lemmy Shaw, Conan the Librarian, Arthur Turton, Bendy Pete, Rick Hindley and the others have all moved on or passed on. If you want a definition of irony, it is this: Don looks set to outlive them all! We will never see their like again, and Chesterfield’s drinking culture is far poorer for it. BARRACUDA; St Mary’s Gate, Chesterfield. Opened in 2005 in premises that were once an Inland Revenue office. It is part of a chain of Sports Bars. When that chain fell on troubled times it was done up and became "Abacus," perhaps in a nod to its former past, although I doubt there's a coporate pub developer that brainy. BARREL INN, The; 249 Chatsworth Road, Brampton BARROW, The; Station Road, Barrow Hill.

Just up the road from Chesterfield is Barrow Hill, which was created in a Titus Salt / Saltaire fashion by a bloke named Barrow to house workers in his mines. "The Barrow" was once a workmen’s hall (probably for workers on the Midland Railway) and became a local leader in the live music, real ale and topless barmaid scene but is now sadly derelict and awaiting the arsonists. Barrow Hill has a reputation among locals as The Place that Time Forgot, which is a shame; some of the rows of old workers' cottages look fine from the outside and have potential, but significant investment is needed. A few yards from this stands the entrance to the fine Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

2010: Demolished! BARROW BOY, The; Low Pavement, Chesterfield Formerly Joplins and The Crown & Cushion. After a short period of closure the place was reopened in 2005 as, erm, Joplins. BARROW HILL HOTEL, The; Barrow Hill. BATH HOTEL, The; London Street, New Whittington. After closure in the early 1980s this was demolished to make way for a school car park. Originally known as "the Plough." BAY HORSE, The; Holywell Street, Chesterfield A previous name of The Woolpack. Reckoned to be the town's last (official) cockfighting venue. BEECHER’S BROOK; High Street, Staveley. A new pub, developed by the chap who brought us Brimington’s “Corner House.” BIRD IN HAND, The; West Bars, Chesterfield. Disappeared under the Portland Hotel. William "Deacon" Brodie, a Scots minister, locksmith and notorious jewel thief, reportedly used this pub to hide and fence the proceeds of his robberies. Brodie was said to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr Jekyl & Mr Hyde" BLACK BULL, The; Lordsmill Street, Chesterfield. Closed in 1960. BLACK HORSE, The; Sheffield Road, Whittington Moor. The 1881 census offers an address on Black Horse Square. BLUE BELL, The; 26 Cavendish Street, Chesterfield. Rebuilt 1935-6 just behind its predecessor below. BLUE BELL, The; 2, Saltergate, Chesterfield. Demolished 1935-6 for road widening. Replaced by pub of the same name, although the old one stood rather a lot more into the Cavendish Street / Saltergate junction. Once kept by Alf Saxby, the Chesterfield footballer. BLUE STOOPS, The; 20 Matlock Road, Walton. "Stoops" being a local term for posts. BOATMAN INN; Canal Wharf, Chesterfield. The canal wharf disappeared under Laver’s wood yard, but this pub had long gone by then. BOLD RODNEY, The; Wheatbridge Road, Brampton. Closed around 1983, and now a Chinese restaurant. Apparently named after a warship, although there was also an admiral named Rodney, who was thought of as bold (or reckless, I suppose, if you were on his boat at the time.) BOMA'S BAR; Knifesmithgate, Chesterfield. A briefly-held name for what was once The King's Head Barker's Bar, and Nickels Cafe & Bar. BOOT & SHOE; Hasland. BOOT & SLIPPER; Newbold Road, Chesterfield. Located close to a malthouse, possibly the one which stood on Sheffield Road, where the Rutland old Peoples' home is now. Some confusion is caused by the existence on 1880s maps of another malthouse near where Union Walk emerges onto Newbold Road. BOYTHORPE INN, The; Boythorpe Road, Boythorpe. Reportedly Chesterfield's first prefabricated pub when rebuilt in 1919. BRAMPTON ALE HOUSE; 318 Chatsworth Road, Brampton. BRAMPTON MILE, The; Chatsworth Road, Brampton. A 1990s conversion of an old painting & decorating shop, named in honour of the famously difficult challenge of having a half in every Chatsworth Road pub (and standing up at the end of it!) BRICKLAYER'S ARMS, The; South Street, Chesterfield. Was situated next door to the Commercial Hotel. Wilkinson’s DIY store occupies both sites. BRICKMAKER'S ARMS, The; 168 Manor Road, Brimington Common. BRIDGE INN; Ashgate Road, Chesterfield. The address, "4, Bridge Inn, Ashgate Road" appears in the 1901 census and the 1891 version has Bridge Inn Cottages (but no inn) in the Goldwell Hill area. I've yet to find anything else to support the existence of this pub. A 1918 map locates Bridge Cottages to the east of the junction of Ashgate Road and Shaftesbury Avenue. BRIDGE INN, The; 34-36 Hollis Lane, Chesterfield. Another once-belting boozer, all tiny rooms that offered privacy and kept the whole setting intimate. Used to be kept by a little guy who would greet his dog and his wife, always in that order, by saying, "hello, little doggy! Hello, little wifey!!" Remember the one-armed piano player? In all, it was a cracking place that was used by a legion of Cestrefeldians for their earliest pub experiences, due to the landlord’s liberal approach to the under-age drinking laws. BRIMINGTON TAVERN, The; Manor Road, Brimington. Became The Prince of Wales. Was one of the area's first pubs to put on strippers on a Sunday. Demolished around 2009, a small housing estate sprang up on the site. (OLD) BRITANNIA INN, The; 56 Old Hall Road, Brampton. BRONX, The; Brewery Street, Chesterfield. A lamentable modern conversion of a Baptist Chapel. Soon re-launched as the equally lamentable "Bar Code". BRUNSWICK HOTEL, The; Sheffield Road, Whittington Moor. Now The Derby Tup, truly the pioneer of the modern "decent ale" movement in this town. BUCK INN, The; 5 Holywell Street, Chesterfield. Previously "The Reindeer" and "The Stag." Became "Carter's Bar" and is currently "Bar Centro." BUGLE HORN, The; Hall Road, Brimington.

The Bugle Arms became The Bugle Horn sometime after the 1881 census. It was closed in the 1920s. One of the recurring features of this blog will be the many pointless and boring photographs of car parks: this one services the doctor's surgery behind the cars. The three cars on the right are parked on what was The Bugle Horn.

BULL'S HEAD, The; Brampton BULL'S HEAD, The: South Street North, New Whittington. Closed by 1970 and converted into flats.

BULL'S HEAD, The; 1 Broomhill Road, Old Whittington. BULLS HEAD INN, The; No. 3 Shambles, Chesterfield. BURLINGTON ARMS, The; Burlington Street, Chesterfield. Previously "the Excursion Inn". BUTCHER'S ARMS, The; Wheatbridge Road, Brampton. BUTCHER'S ARMS, The; 20 Church Street, Brimington.

The St Patrick's Day flags sit rather uneasily with the Christmas decorations on this March 2005 photo. BYRON'S HEAD; Saltergate, Chesterfield. One imagines fierce Saturday night three-way fist fights between rival gangs of poetically-minded drunks from this place, the Shakespeare and Milton’s Head, just up the road… Well, perhaps one doesn’t!

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