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This property stood at
the junction of Brook Street, Market Street, Low Street and the Market
Place, which was at that time an upside down triangle shape. It was very
close to the Denman’s Head.
In the 1851, 1861 and 1871 census, Josiah Towers was listed as a Grocer
living on the Market Place. The property was first recorded as a Beerhouse
in 1861 when Josiah Towers added Beer to his usual grocery business. In most
records, he was listed as a Beerhouse Keeper or Beer Retailer in an unnamed
property. In the 1874 directory it was listed as the Corner Pin.
Josiah Towers died in February 1880, when his wife Mary took over the
business and remained at least until 1888.
At this point, the name of the property changed to The Market Hotel. It was
also most likely around this time that it was bought by the Home Brewery Co.
Despite the change of name it was still recorded as a Beerhouse.
In November 1890, new landlord Frederick Bailey “of the Market Hotel” was
charged with selling beer during prohibited hours after two policemen
witnessed a man leaving the property at 11.35pm with a “gallon tin filled
with beer”. At court it was revealed that the man, John Webster, was a
waiter at the hotel, and the beer was given to him as an allowance for
supper and he had paid no money for it. The case was dismissed.
In August 1900, the local licencing session was considering a provisional
new full licence for a proposed new hotel to be built on Outram Street for
the Home Brewery. The local council argued that their plans to enlarge the
market place were being blocked by the Market Hotel, which belonged to the
Home Brewery:
“With regard to the market extension, the main difficulty which stood in the
way of the authority was the Market Hotel, which belonged to his clients,
and was a very valuable property. Indeed, he did not think the Urban
District Council would acquire it under the price of £6,000 to £7,000. This
price, it was felt, would be too heavy a tax upon the ratepayers unless some
arrangement could be come to.”
The Home Brewery agreed with the Council that they would give up the licence
on the Market Hotel, and in return the Council would give them the new site
on Outram Street, which the brewery would start building on once the
transfer of licence had been approved. The planned hotel would provide
twelve bedrooms and stabling for twelve horses, while the Market Hotel would
cost less for the council to buy once it was no longer licenced.
However, the transfer of licence was refused by the licencing committee and
the general feeling within the town was that the council had been
responsible for the “ill-conceived licencing scheme” that had ultimately
failed. At a town meeting on the subject it was agreed that the ratepayers
should “have an opportunity of expressing their opinion at the poll”.
With the council’s plans stalled, the building was taken down in 1903 and
replaced with a new property more or less on the same site, but moved back a
little to widen Brook Street. It was still known as the Market Hotel and was
still in the way of the council’s ultimate goal of creating a market
“square”.
In January 1906, it was reported that all the old properties on the market
had been removed, with the exception of the Market Hotel, which was
demolished in February. It’s former location is roughly where the corner of
the market place car park is now.
The business was transferred to another new property, situated approx. 40
yards away on what would be the corner of the newly redeveloped marketplace.
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