The Gun at Wash Common has had a public house on that site since the seventeenth century. The later picture also shows the Falkland memorial put there in 1878 by some local person with a penchant for the civil war. The finance was raised locally but the person who organised it wanted it to commemorate all those who fell in the battle but was outvoted by the Earl of Carnarvon and the members of the committee who wanted a Royalist memorial. And, so it was. The design was by local architect John Money and carved out of Cornish granite brought at great cost from a couple of Cornish quarries and crafted by a Penryn company. The first picture was taken in about 1898 when the pub and another one owned by a local brewery were put up for sale. The vista which includes the Falkland memorial dates from about 1900.
The first picture was taken in about 1898 when the pub and another one owned by a local brewery were put up for sale.
The sale in 1898 was at an auction of six Newbury pubs (Gun, London Apprentice, Tiger, Cross Keys, Hunt's Bar & the other one that I can't bring to mind at present - possibly the Queen's Arms). The Gun and London Apprentice were owned by the Borough of Newbury, not a local brewery - they were, of course, all bought by local breweries.
The sale in 1898 was at an auction of six Newbury pubs (Gun, London Apprentice, Tiger, Cross Keys, Hunt's Bar & the other one that I can't bring to mind at present - possibly the Queen's Arms). The Gun and London Apprentice were owned by the Borough of Newbury, not a local brewery - they were, of course, all bought by local breweries.
I was deliberately vague because I knew that you would come along and help me out with the detail. Thanks
The Gun is an excellent pub with a first-class landlord in Alan Lamb, and is one of the few around that still has two completely separate bars. To get from one to the other you have to go out into the long porch behind the 6X umbrella.
Alan told me once that the pub is said to be haunted by a Civil War soldier, and that he has reason to believe that the building has cellars, Unfortunately he has never been able to find the entrance.
Alan told me once that the pub is said to be haunted by a Civil War soldier, and that he has reason to believe that the building has cellars, Unfortunately he has never been able to find the entrance.
Most, if not all pubs, had cellars to keep the beer temperature constant as much as possible in the days before refrigeration so I would guess that he is right. If there is a cellar, would be interesting to open it up.
Most, if not all pubs, had cellars to keep the beer temperature constant as much as possible in the days before refrigeration so I would guess that he is right.
Er, yes, I did know that!
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If there is a cellar, would be interesting to open it up.
It is some time since Alan told me this, so it may be that the pub has a normal cellar for the beer as well as this other, mysterious one. Next time I go there I will check it out.
Not at all. It is you who is touchy if you take that as anything other than as the light-hearted response it was intended.
Perhaps I should have added a smiley at the end.
That's the trouble with a forum, I cannot look into your eyes as you reply so as you obviously know all there is to know about beer, brewing and pubs, I can only apologise.
The sale in 1898 was at an auction of six Newbury pubs (Gun, London Apprentice, Tiger, Cross Keys, Hunt's Bar & the other one that I can't bring to mind at present - possibly the Queen's Arms). The Gun and London Apprentice were owned by the Borough of Newbury, not a local brewery - they were, of course, all bought by local breweries.
The sixth pub was the Black Boys, not the Queen's Arms. The Gun and Apprentice were sold by the Borough, the Tiger by St Bartholomew's Charity, the Black Boys by the Shaw family and Hunt's Bar by the Chesham Brewery Company (I think). I've no idea who was selling the Cross Keys.
The South Berks Brewery bought the Black Boys (£2250), the Tiger (£1500) and The Gun (£1450) The Newbury Brewery Company bought the London Apprentice for £2800. Herbert Finn (Phoenix Brewery) bought Hunts Bar and the adjoining shop for £3000. A Benjamin Blaiberg (not a Newbury brewer) bought the Cross Keys and another house for £1000. I would guess that this means that the current Cross Keys was built shortly after this.
Three different auctioneers handled the sales, which were all done in the same session at a major London auction room.
The Newbury Brewery Company bought the London Apprentice for £2800.
This was situated opposite St John's church close to the row of cottages that face East and not to be confused with the Old London Apprentice in Hambridge Road a fairly new build. These pubs were built to a standard format by Simonds of Reading, distinctive by the green roof tiles. My Mother met my Dad in the London Apprentice before the war when he was home on leave from the navy
This was situated opposite St John's church close to the row of cottages that face East and not to be confused with the Old London Apprentice in Hambridge Road a fairly new build. These pubs were built to a standard format by Simonds of Reading, distinctive by the green roof tiles. My Mother met my Dad in the London Apprentice before the war when he was home on leave from the navy
Would have been a bit difficult to meet in the London Apprentice after the war - it closed in 1935 and its licence was transferred to a beer shop (off licence) called the Red House in Greenham - which was then rebuilt as the Old London Apprentice. The demolition of the London Apprentice was delayed by the war but it eventually went in the early 50s.
A photo of the Gun taken in February 2010. A version of this photo can be seen inside the pub on an A4 poster publicising West Berkshire CAMRA Christmas social which is being held at the pub on Tues 14 Dec 2010. 7.30pm. Jeff Evans will be giving a pub quiz and there will be a raffle for beer related items. The Good Beer Guide 2011 will be on sale at a discount price (only 2 left). Anyone wishing to join CAMRA can do so on this evening.
The Gun at Wash Common has had a public house on that site since the seventeenth century. ... The first picture was taken in about 1898 when the pub and another one owned by a local brewery were put up for sale. The vista which includes the Falkland memorial dates from about 1900.
[face=Times][/face] It was interesting to see these 2 photos / postcards, in the first post, that were added by Brian. Alan Murray has also shown me an old photo of the pub that a customer gave to him. The Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Ullage will include a 'Pub Profile' of The Gun. I hope nobody will mind if we use some of the information supplied on this thread in this profile? If there is space it might be nice to be able to include the 1898 picture or the c.1900 vista - Please can Brian advise me if this might involve any copyright difficulties & also how he would like any credit to be given in the newsletter. Apparently the 'friendly ghost' at the Gun has provided a free play on the billiard table and a free go on the gaming machine after the pub had closed. It had also turned the electric dryer on in the Ladies when nobody was inside. There have been some good guest beers on at the Gun recently including West Berkshire Brewery Maggs' Mild. For the W. Berks CAMRA Christmas Social on Dec 14th Alan has arranged to collect a cask of 'Beer!' by Milk Street Brewery, Frome from a pub the brewery delivers to in Salisbury, weather permitting.
Whilst tradition has it that there was a pub there in the C17th I don't think there is any proof - it is associated with the 1st Battle of Newbury (1643) but that is as much to do with the name as anything. I have seen it written that it was the Royalist HQ during the battle - almost certainly total tosh.
The Gun was owned by Newbury Corporation (the predecessors of the Borough Council) from at least 1755. The Borough Council sold it at auction in 1898 for £1450. The purchasers were the South Berks Brewery Company, successors to the West Mills brewery (Slocock's, then Hawkins & Canning, then Hawkins & Hawkins) who had held the lease since 1796. South Berks were bought by H&G Simonds in 1920.
It is now one of only three Newbury pubs to have operated continuously under the same name since 1761 (the date of the earliest known list of named Newbury pubs) - the others are the Coopers Arms and the Dolphin. I suspect it has been rebuilt at some point.
There was a murder at Warren Farm in 1891 which resulted in a sketch of the Gun (where the inquest was held) appearing in the News of the World (reproduced in the NWN). Another murder took place outside the pub in 1870 when an unruly customer who had been ejected shortly before struck and killed another customer who was leaving the Gun to go across to the Bell for another pint. For some reason the assailant got away with manslaughter and only 15 months hard labour. In 1863 the landlord's son was stabbed by another unruly customer, happily the victim survived the attack.
The infilling mentioned in a previous post was done in 1970(ish) on land attached to the pub - when Courage, Barclay, Simonds were looking to improve profits by becoming property developers.
I hope nobody will mind if we use some of the information supplied on this thread in this profile? If there is space it might be nice to be able to include the 1898 picture or the c.1900 vista - Please can Brian advise me if this might involve any copyright difficulties & also how he would like any credit to be given in the newsletter.
I don't hold any copyright, I go on the assumption that the postcards I own have long since gone out of copyright and publication will not be a problem. Use them as you wish, no credit is required.
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