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Also known as the
Foresters Inn, this pub stood on Union Street.
The Royal Foresters is said to have "appeared in 1832" although it’s
uncertain where. The first licensee, James Turner, was listed as a beerhouse
keeper and framesmith in 1832, but his address was given as “Russell
Square”. Union Street was most likely not built until shortly after that
date. It’s possible that Union Street was named in honour of the Poor Law
Amendment Act of 1834, which created Poor Law Unions.
What we do know is that when he opened his beerhouse on Union Street, some
time between 1832 and 1841, it would have been a newly built property, and
may have been purpose-built as a pub as all the other houses on the street
were much smaller.
James Turner lived on Union Street in the 1841 census and gave his business
as “Beerhouse”. The name "Royal Foresters" was first seen in the 1848
directory.
In January 1892, the Royal Forester was put up for sale by auction. It was
described in the Nottinghamshire Guardian as:
“All that old-established Fully Licenced Inn, known as the Royal Forester,
with beerhouse, yard, garden and stable adjoining, situate in Union Street,
containing 776 square yards, now and for many years in the occupation of Mr
Arthur Whitworth.” It was further confirmed that it was presently a “Free
House”, or not tied to any particular brewery.
At the auction, in February of that year, it was sold to the Nottingham Home
Brewery of Daybrook for £2,380. Arthur Whitworth continued as landlord for a
few years following the sale.
An inquest was held at the Royal Forester Inn, Union Street in June 1896, on
the death of Walter Cawthorn, an 18 year old miner killed in an accident at
Bentinck Colliery, Kirkby-in-Ashfield.
Walter Radage, described as “an East Kirkby miner”, who had taken possession
of the Royal Foresters in 1909, was examined by the Official Receiver in
1913. He said he “continued his work in the mine after he took the
public-house, his wife managing the inn during the daytime”. He also
confirmed his takings were £10 per week with his gross profits being only £2
per week, yet he had outgoings including rates, taxes wages, £60 rent and
£25 interest on borrowed money. Mr Radage said he wanted to leave the pub
after his first three months “but the brewery said I should be all right,
and persuaded me to stay.”
He left the pub with debts of £340 and no assets, and put his failure down
to “bad trade and heavy expenses”.
In October 1947, local man James Varley was charged with stealing a clock
from the smoke room of the Royal Foresters. His behaviour aroused the
suspicions of the landlord, Harold Cosford, who returned to the room to see
Varley handing the clock through the window. He was fined £4.
The Royal Foresters was last marked on the OS map of 1955. Suttons Central
Area Redevelopment Scheme in 1956 included the demolition of the building on
Union Street, to be replaced by a new bigger hotel of the
same name on
Coronation Street. By the time of the 1959 OS map, the building on Union
Street had been demolished.
All the properties on Union Street were replaced with lower density council
housing. |
