The Horse & Jockey is a historic pub in Wrexham city centre, North Wales, known for its 16th century thatched roof.
| Horse & Jockey | |
|---|---|
 The pub from Hope Street, with Priory Street to the right | |
 | |
| Former names | The Colliers (partly) Colliers Arms (partly) |
| General information | |
| Type | Residences (16th century–1868) Inn (200 yrs) Beerhouse (partly; 17th century) Private/guest house (partly; 17th century) Pub (1868–present) |
| Location | Wrexham, Wales |
| Coordinates | 53°02′46″N 2°59′42″W / 53.046104°N 2.994949°W |
| Named for | Fred Archer |
| Opened | 16th century |
| Owner | Star Pubs and Bars |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Horse and Jockey Public House |
| Designated | 30 May 1951 Amended 31 January 1994 |
| Reference no. | 1794[1] |
The Grade II listed building is the only surviving thatched roofed property in Wrexham. It was originally a 16th-century hall house, until it was later split into three cottages, one becoming a beerhouse — The Colliers — and another a private guest house, until they were merged into one pub in 1868.
It is posthumously named in respect for Fred Archer, a Cheltenham-born jockey who rode at nearby Bangor-on-Dee racecourse. The pub's sign is based on a painting of Archer.
Description edit
The building had undergone multiple modifications for various different uses over centuries, glimpses of the original timber-frame construction of the building can still be viewed from the inside.[2][3][4]
The building is largely brick, with surviving timber-framing, such as rear wall timber studs and on the southeast wall. It has a thatched roof, the only one left in Wrexham,[5][6] while its gable faces Hope Street and its doorway on an angle between Hope Street and Priory Street.[3][1]
History edit
The building possibly dates to the 16th century as a hall house, a type of residence centred on a large room but contains no ceiling.[2][6] The building may have been built with the intention for it to be a dwelling, and the hall house was composed of three units, a two-bay hall and storeyed end-bays.[3][4][1]
In the 17th century, the building was extended south-westwards and sub-divided into three cottages. One of the cottages nearest to Hope Street was a private house, sometimes used as a guest house, while the cottage nearest to Priory Street (furthest away from Hope Street) was a beerhouse known as "The Colliers" (or "Colliers Arms").[2][7] In 1868, the buildings were said to have combined into a single pub,[2][3] although the building is also said to have been "an inn for at least two hundred years".[8] It is also "uncertain" when exactly the merger occurred, and whether as a pub as it was described as a "cottage" in 1893 by Alfred Neobard Palmer.[6] Part of it was also a cobbler's shop.[9]
When used as a public house, it was heavily remodelled in various successive iterations, with only fragments of the building's original form remaining.[3]
The pub was renamed, in the late 19th century,[6] as the "Horse and Jockey" following the death of Fred Archer (died 1886), a Cheltenham-born jockey who had ridden at the nearby Bangor-on-Dee racecourse. The picture on the pub's sign was painted in 1938, copying an original painting of Archer.[2][4][5]
In 1938, the pub was sold by Beirne's Brewery to Wrexham Lager, which repaired the building to prevent its collapse, with the company obtaining a permit in 1939, during World War II, to protect the pub's thatched roof.[2]
There are claims there is a ghost known as "George" present in the pub, with the landlord in 2013 claiming a spirit had once saved a cleaner from topping off a chair by grabbing hold of her leg while she was standing.[2][4]
In September 2004, the building and its thatched roof narrowly avoided being caught on fire, as the neighbouring building, a furniture store, did. The pub was not seriously damaged as a result of the neighbouring fire.[10]
As of 2024, it is owned by Star Pubs and Bars. In April 2024, the owners reported that the pub, which closed in February 2024, would remain closed until June 2024 as they look for a new licensee.[9]
References edit
- ^ a b c Cadw (30 May 1951). "Horse and Jockey Public House (Grade II) (1794)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Horse and Jockey pub, Wrexham - History Points". historypoints.org. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Horse and Jockey Public House, 32 Hope Street, Wrexham (27367)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Horse and Jockey". reesjeweller.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Taste Test: Horse and Jockey, Wrexham". Chester and District Standard. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Hope Street - Horse & Jockey". buildingsofwrexham.co.uk. 2013. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Historic Wrexham Inns | Clwyd Family History". www.clwydfhs.org.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Welsh inns: a pint in the past". VisitWales. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Popular Wrexham pub to remain closed as hunt for new landlord continues". The Leader. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
- ^ Live, North Wales (8 September 2004). "Mystery blaze wreaks havoc". North Wales Live. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
Further reading edit
- Cadw – For a full architectural description