Horden Pubs

Horden is a former coal mining colliery village situated on the East Durham coast.

The inhabitants of most colliery villages seemed to do most of their drinking in clubs. Horden, for example, had several clubs including the Conservative Club (known as the Tin Pot), the Victory club, The Legion, The Rugby Club and a most impressive building officially called the Miners Welfare but known to everyone as The Big Club. This was one of the largest buildings in the village, until its demolition in 2007/8. During its heyday it boasted several bars, a large concert room and even a library. With the demise of the colliery, the Big Club declined and shortly before its closure was little more than a drug den.

Horden did have a few pubs, notably The Bell (still open at the time of writing), The Horden Hotel, known throughout the village as The Trust (a large pub now closed), The Royal (now demolished) and The Hardwick (another large pub, now demolished).

 The Horden Hotel in ca 1985.

The Horden Hotel April 2012. Now Closed.

The Royal Hotel ca 1985. Now demolished.

The Bell 1991.

The Bell 2007.

The Comrades Club 2007.

The Conservative Club 2007.

The ROAB Club 1991.

Seaham Harbour Pubs - II

A hundred years ago Seaham had many more pubs and clubs than today and they are remembered in this poem believed to date from 1902:

A Tale of Seaham Licencing Signs

‘’The fellows of the Royal Naval Reserve suddenly entered the bar, and after being repeatedly asked to hurry up they departed, and entering The Ship, built of Royal Oak, sailed up to the Adam and Eve Gardens, where they met with some Foresters, who informed them that The Duke of Wellington, leaving the Edinburgh Castle, had gone into a Draycart. He was escorted by some noble Volunteers, all loyal to the Rose and Crown, and headed by a Highlander playing his pipes, had passed through Northumberland and, on arriving at the Bridge, were met by Londonderry, Castlereagh and Blandford.

Then the party adjourned to the Vane Arms, where they were joined by Marlborough, Zetland and Bradyll, who had just returned from Canterbury.

The assembled company here sat down to discuss various subjects: the merits of Shakespeare; the latest achievements of the Engineers and the industry of the Bottlemakers. But they were repeatedly annoyed by the chattering of the Parrot.

Then a party of Oddfellows suddenly entered the room and informed them that the Golden Lion had escaped from the Noah’s Ark and was speeding on his way by the Colliery to the Times Inn, hotly pursued by Lord Seaham, wearing a Hat and Feather and mounted on a Kicking Cuddy.

Thirty three pubs in all. Now, 100 years later, only a handful still remain. These include The Engineers Arms, The Times Inn, The Duke of Wellington (now called The Duke of Seaham), The Marlborough and Oddfellows Arms.

A few friends enjoying a pint in The Volunteers in 1981

The entrance to the Volunteers Arms. Note the mosaic blue star on the wall and the door painted black, cream and red, the traditional colours of the Newcastle Brewery. 1981.

The Volunteers Arms in 1981. By then the only remaining building in Frances Street.

Carlton Arms 1986. This was originally called The Castlereagh Hotel.

The Volunteers Arms in 1986.

Note that the original entrance has been replaced by a cheap wooden structure

The Blandford in 1986

The Duke of Wellington and The Golden Lion in 1986

The Northumberland Arms in 1986

The Victoria Inn, Durham

County Durham

For many people the name County Durham conjures up images of coal heaps, heavy industry, dirt and grime. This was never the complete picture. County Durham is also a county of agriculture and sea fishing, wonderful denes, moors and waterfalls and the magnificent Durham cathedral and castle and the jewel in the crown, the Victoria Inn in Durham City!

The Victoria comprises three separate rooms and is generally regarded as having one of the best-preserved pub interiors in the country.

The main bar which always has a good selection of well-kept real ale

The out-licence serving area behind the glass and wood partition.

The Victoria also has an excellent selection of malt whisky.

The Victoria's main bar and fireplace

The Victoria'a second bar

Fireplace in the second bar

The select bar with marble fireplace

Seaham Harbour

Seaham Harbour Pubs - I

The coastal village of Seaham Harbour was created by the Marquess of Londonderry in 1828 to provide a harbour from which to transport coal from his mines to London. My parents both grew up in Seaham and several members of my family ran pubs in the town from the 1930s to the 1970s.

The oldest pubs in the town were The Golden Lion and The Londonderry Arms.

The Golden Lion in 1986 with my mother, Doris, wife Pam and daughter, Victoria

The Londonderry Arms in 1973 (with Terry Smith in the foreground and The Vane Arms in the background).

My maternal grandfather, Jack Stuart, ran the Lion for many years during times of prosperity and the Great Depression. 



Photograph take outside The Blanford in Seaham Harbour



As a child in the 1950s and early 60s Seaham Harbour was a magical place. It had absolutely everything, a steam railway, two docks, two beaches, a dene, a picture house and several pubs. Although I was too young to drink, I loved visiting my relatives in the Engineers Arms, The Edinburgh Castle and The Golden Lion. I think it was an early case of forbidden fruit ;)



The Edinburgh Castle in 1973. My uncle's name, E C Stuart, is just visible above the door

Over the years I have taken several photographs of Seaham, in particular the pubs, and these reflect the changes that have occurred to the town over the past four decades.

The Golden Lion (left) and The Noah's Ark (right) 1998

The Engineers Arms in 1973

During the Second World War, my grandfather, Jack Stuart, ran the Golden Lion, a large pub set back from the coast and only a few hundred yards from the docks. On one particular day, the family were waiting for my uncle Teddy who had just returned back to port after serving on an Atlantic/Baltic convoy ship. The ship was in dock and Jack’s daughters were looking out of an upstairs window for Teddy’s arrival. As they spotted him walking towards the pub, a German fighter plane had also seen him and proceeded to attack him using machine guns. Teddy ran and took cover in a public toilet which stood opposite the Lion. The plane continued its attack, but when it passed over, Teddy ran from the toilet and dived behind the pub yard gates and then escaped into the bar. It is not recorded what happened next, but I like to think that he then enjoyed a drink or two to steady his nerves.



The Public Toilets opposite the Golden Lion 1991.

This should have been preserved as a national monument!