If you walk around Edgware town centre, you will be hard pressed to find any pubs, yet over a century ago there were around twelve. Over time the number has gradually dwindled because of local redevelopment projects, forced closures by pubcos or the selling of failing businesses. The high street straddles Watling Street, a Roman road that stretched between London and St Albans. During the medieval period, a settlement was established around the bridge that crosses Edgware Brook, from where the area gets its name. By this time pilgrims were using this route to travel to St Albans Abbey. This soon evolved into the coaching trade and, by the 15th century, the first coaching inns were established.
One of the oldest pubs was the Chandos Arms, allegedly built in the 11th century and described as a beautiful old house with panelled passages and crooked windows. The fireplace was donated from the Cannons estate when the original building was demolished in 1747. Its noteworthy regulars included George Fredrich Handel, the Duke of Chandos and Dick Turpin. It is said that he frequently lodged in the back room, from where he could make a quick escape to avoid the authorities. The site was also used for hustings, elections, religious services and as a courthouse for minor offences. In 1927, the licensee, George Cheshire, applied for a transfer of licence to a new site in Colindale. This was because of the abundance of pubs nearby. His request was granted and the original site was sold and demolished. Today it is occupied by a branch of Lidl.
The George, built c.1434, was another coaching inn, constructed from ship’s timbers. The site was expanded in the 17th century by licensee Henry Hayley to include four buildings enclosing a courtyard, along with a brewery and an orchard. By the 19th century, it was being run by the Cannon Brewery who owned three other pubs in the area. Later, a dancehall was added and it became a popular function venue. In 1930, with local road widening schemes planned, the licensees were offered a transfer to a new site in Kingsbury. Despite a 670-signature petition opposing the move, it went ahead. The pub closed in 1931 and was demolished.
Conversely, the White Hart is still standing. It was constructed in the 15th century and from c.1600 was used as a coaching inn. It is a three-storey, stuccoed structure, with a hipped tiled roof and wooden eaves and cornices. The ground floor was divided into four serving areas, including a multi-sided bar and a games room at the rear, along with a club house and beer garden. In 1972, 15th century timber beams were located in a bedroom and the kitchen attic. The site was Grade II listed the following year. Later, in 1992, it was renamed the Change of Hart and it continued to operate as a pub until 2017 when it was turned into a restaurant. It is currently unoccupied and the upper floors are in poor condition following unauthorised works.
Unlike its competitors, the Boot offered no accommodation and was small in size. Its bars were extremely cramped and the roof so low that a person wearing a hat could hardly stand upright. During 1914/15 local justices twice tried to have the pub closed down, citing issues with its size, location and lack of facilities plus the proliferation of pubs in the area. Their case was thrown out due to lack of evidence and the pub soldiered on until 1965, when it was sold and demolished. It was replaced by a shopping precinct named Boot Parade in its memory.
Going north towards Stonegrove was the Leather Bottle. Built in 1860, it was one of two pubs in Edgware (along with the Beehive) run by Bennett’s. It was later acquired by Mann, Crossman & Paulin Ltd who subsequently merged with Watney’s. In the 1960s the site became part of their Schooner Inns chain of themed pubs and was converted to look like a Swiss chalet. This included a steakhouse on the upper floor. In 1991 the pub closed for several months following a major fire and was later renamed the Bottle & Dragon. Dwindling customer numbers led to its eventual closure in 2002 and it was demolished and replaced by flats.
Over on Station Road you will find the mouldering site of the Railway Hotel, constructed in 1874 and rebuilt in 1931 by Trumans, employing their in-house architect A E Sewell. An imposing three-storey structure, it was rebuilt as a roadhouse in the ‘Tudorbethan’ style, with half-timbered elevations to its upper floors, a pitched roof and an asymmetrical window façade. It was the latest in extravagance, offering a luncheon room (including a carvery), a masonic lodge and accommodation. It became an iconic feature of the area for decades and was used for functions and local societies until the owners, by then Scottish & Newcastle, closed it down in 2006 because of health and safety concerns. Although it is Grade II listed, successive owners have allowed the site to fall into dereliction through vandalism and a series of fires. Historic England have placed the site on their ‘at-risk’ register. Through local petitions and lobbying (spearheaded by Mark Amies, who has campaigned for its preservation for several years) in 2023, Barnet Council placed a compulsory purchase order on the site with the intention of preserving it as part of the redevelopment of the town centre.
Today’s pub landscape in Edgware is a shadow of its former self. A large number have been demolished or converted to other uses, such as restaurants or shops. Meanwhile, the likes of the Change of Hart and the Railway Hotel remain vacant and derelict, with an uncertain future. The only traditional pub in the town centre is the Wishing Well which is, incidentally, the newest, having opened in 1993. All of the lost pubs represent a patchwork of Edgware’s illustrious history, from the lucrative era of the coaching inns to the residential developments of the 20th century. Each tells a story and reminds us what we have lost.
Mike Goldwater