PUBS & HOTELS IN THE BARROW AREA

First of all I would like to point out that this web site has been compiled from information gathered from a few sources and unfortunately no authors details are given to acknowledge, therefore I take no credit for the information given to me. If anyone should know of the original authors I ask that you please contact me by email so as I can arrange to contact any authors.

Since this web site was first published it has been brought to my attention that the vast majority of information on this site has been taken from extracts originally written by David Hamilton whom I am led to believe is a well known local Historian.

The information gathered and used on this site was originally emailed to me and at the time of publishing it I had no information on whether any copyright was held on any or part of the articles herein. If anyone believes that they know the original author of any of the information used within this site then maybe you could please contact me and give me  details

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Barrow is a direct result of the Victorian’s industrial Zeal, that built an empire and placed Britain at the top of the industrial producing countries league. In 1867 on the occasion of the opening of Devonshire Dock, Gladstone was quoted as saying "Barrow is the youngest child of England’s enterprise"

In 1843 The population of Barrow was housed in a collection of tiny villages, with very little local industry other than farming, small scale iron ore mining and shipping. The names of these villages can still be traced, Cocken, Hawcoat. Ormsgill. Hindpool, Salthouse, Roose, Newbarns. North Scale, Biggar, etc. Two of the villages have gone completely, (Cocken was buried beneath the old Slag Bank) whilst the original farms etc can still be seen in the remaining villages incorporated in the modern town, and of course Biggar and North Scale.

With the opening of the railway line between Barrow, Rampside, Kirkby, Dalton and near to Lindal In 1846, Barrows population began to grow, slowly at first. 100 in 1837, 273 in 1846 Then with the opening of the Iron Works in 1850, the building of Barrow, as we know it today, began with a vengeance. ln the 1860s 58 pubs and hotels were opened. 42 of them between 1860 and 1864. The steelworks and the building of the docks where Barrow Channel was making Barrow Island no longer an island, brought other industries to the town - Shipbuilding. foundries, brick and tile works etc.

All these industries brought people to Barrow, people who needed accommodation of some description, houses, hotels etc. These people also needed entertainment, and in the 1860s there was no cinema, no radio, no television, few music halls and theatres to occupy what little leisure time people had.

There was one place that could provide some release from the daily grind, the public House, and in that respect Barrovians were more than amply catered for.

In 1850, Barrow had two public houses and the total for the borough was eight. By 1865 that number had increased tenfold. Many of the houses were little more than one-roomed drinking dens that opened under the provision of the 1830 Beerhouses Act But, some were well appointed hotels offering entertainment of various kinds, in tasteful and comfortable Surroundings.

In 1867 The town received it’s Charter of Corporation. Then in 1880, the very lax Beerhouses Act of 1830 was revoked, placing control of public house licenses firmly in the hands of town councils. The effect in Barrow was felt immediately.

At the annual Brewster's session, in 1869 11 licenses were refused on the grounds of police complaints against the houses. The long term effect was to bring about a change in the way the pubs were run in the borough. The council insisted on a better standard of amenities from the remaining houses. This, coupled with a growing temperance movement, led to restrictions on the number of wine and spirit licenses granted.

The Peel Commission in 1899 and the 1904 Licensing Act brought fresh closures. The second World War saw more pubs close (due in this case to enemy bombing)

From 1952 to 1995, 24 pubs have disappeared for one reason or another, the redevelopment of Barrow town centre in the 60’s, 70’s caused the passing or 16 pubs and the building of Portland Walk 3 more, until today’s figure of 62 public houses has been reached.

In November 2005 The UK Government introduced 24 Hr drinking Laws.  This has affected all hostelries in the UK and new licences have been issued allowing pubs more flexibility in their opening hours.