The Public Houses of Egham
Many of the public houses which used to exist in the Egham area have now disappeared (see item 11). Among those still in existence are the Red Lion (High Street, Egham) the Monkey’s Forehead (Egham Hill), and the Happy Man (Harvest Road, Englefield Green). The items on display in this exhibition are related to those three public houses.
According to Turner the Red Lion can be traced back at least to 1702 when a reference was made in the court rolls of that year to Edward Nelson of London surrendering to Thomas Smith of Egham “a messuage called the Red Lion, together with a garden and orchard formerly called Squillers, and an acre called Aubrey Haw”[1]. Later, in the course of the first half of the 18th century, the Red Lion became a coaching inn acting as “a stage” for coaches conveying travellers on their way to the west of England, and in the second half of the 18th century other buildings, including a building known as the Assembly Rooms, had been added to it. In 1854 when the Assembly Rooms came up for sale as a separate part of the sale of the Red Lion estate the Egham Literary and Scientific Institution made a successful bid for them and completed its purchase of them on 25th March 1854. At this stage the Assembly Rooms, which had now taken on a separate existence as the building now known as the Literary Institute, were still physically linked by a courtyard and various buildings to the Red Lion. Later, after the Red Lion had undergone extensive reduction of its site this physical link ceased to exist.
According to Turner[2] the origin of the Pack Horse seems to be related to a lease of 1730 from the Lord of the Manor, Adrian Moore, to Mary Harford and Mary Dee of a “house … described as a cottage or tenement with two acres of land, commonly known by the name and sign of “Ye Pack Horse” which “seems to indicate it was an inn”. In its location on Egham Hill on the Great Western Road it was no doubt a good place for the 18th century traveller to take refreshment on his journey to the west country. “Throughout the 19thcentury it remained mainly in private ownership, but was bought by the Isleworth Brewery Co. in 1902”[3]. After undergoing a number of alterations in the following years it was eventually demolished in the early 1930s and a new custom built public house with the same name erected on the site. Its name was changed to the Royal Ascot in 1982 and before the end of the 20th century its name had .changed again to the Monkey’s Forehead. As a public house with the latter name it has become a popular resort for the students on the nearby campus of Royal Holloway (University of London).
Another public house popular with students of Royal Holloway is the Happy Man which is even closer to their campus than the Monkey’s Forehead. Originally two Victorian cottages, this building was converted to a pub with a view to serving the large number of labourers involved in the erection of the Royal Holloway College which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1886.
Items on display:-
.
1 Copy of “Abstract of the title of Mr. Henry Andrews to a piece or parcel of freehold land ... in the yard of a messuage or tenement and Public House known as "The Red Lion" situate at Egham … and also part of the said yard and also part of a piece of meadow land at the rear of the said yard”. 1858. [Typwritten legal document covering the years 1784-1856].
2. “An extract from the Windsor and Eton Express dated from Sunday, December 29 to Sunday, January 5, 1817. To Inn-Keepers, Coach-Masters, Brewers & Others.” [A notice announcing the sale by private contract of the Red Lion Inn, in Egham with a description of rooms, etc. Also includes a note describing it as it was in 1938. Typewritten ]
3. Thr Red Lion, 1908 [copy of photo].
4. The Red Lion [contemporary photo]
5. Public house known as the "Pack Horse", Egham Hill … which will be sold on October 13th, 1881. Auctioneers: Messrs. Battam & Co : Solicitors: Fladgate, Smith & Fladgate. Particulars and conditions of sale [Leaflet].
6. The Pack Horse [copy of late 19th century photo]
7. The Monkey’s Forehad [contemporary photo]
8. Freehold Beerhouse known as the "Happy Man" … will be sold by Messrs. Walker & Finn on 8th March, 1900. Solicitor: A. Dallas Brett, Esq. Particulars and conditions of sale. [Leaflet.]
9. The Happy Man, c1901. [copy of photo]
10. The Happy Man [contemporary photo]
11. List of lost pubs in Egham, Surrey.
Joan Wintour
July 2016
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[1] Turner, F. Egham, Surrey: A History of the Parish under Church and Crown (Egham: Box &
Gilham, 1926), p.231
[2] Turner, F. Egham, Surrey: A History of the Parish under Church and Crown (Egham: Box &
Gilham, 1926), p.230
[3] Dennis, G. and Williams, R. The Englefield Green Picture Book (Egham; Egham-by-Runnymede
Historical Society, 1992), p.35
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