The Lost Pubs of Elstree

As you travel down Elstree High Street, you’d be shocked to find out that this street alone has lost three pubs over the past twenty years. This loss is particularly potent as these businesses have been around for over three centuries and served the local area during its commercial height during the stagecoach boom of the 18th and 19th centuries, as it was historically situated on Watling Street, which was a direct route from London to the Midlands. The very existence of this road was essential to the area’s creation, it was originally built as a trading route by the Romans, by medieval times, it was a resting place for pilgrims en-route to St Albans Abbey. In the 14th century, in order to serve increasing demand, a shrine and a Lady Chapel were built in the area, along with a number of inns, the area was also known for its thriving pottery trade which added to its financial fortunes.  Elstree was originally a chapelry of the Abbey before it became a parish in 1424, it continued under their ownership until the dissolution of the monasteries, when it sold onto Anthony Denny, a courtier of Henry VIII, it was then sold onto a succession of owners over the centuries. According to the writer Daniel Lysons in 1811, its current name is derived from the word Eald-Street, or the old road which denotes Watling Street which runs through it. By the 18th century, the area became increasingly built up thanks in large part to the major trunk route that ran through it, the high street alone featured a number of businesses including a butcher, blacksmiths, carpenters, carriers, grocers, a wheelwright, harness maker and two bakeries. Increasing traffic from stage-coaches led to the establishment of a turnpike which helped sustain the area economically, at the time there was as many as six inns operating in the area, including the Artichoke, the Holly Bush, the Green Dragon, the Plough, the Red Lion, and the White Horse, a number of these were owned by Thomas Clutterbuck & Co at the time, whom ran pubs all over Middlesex and Hertfordshire. Four major stagecoaches stopped at these inns, including The Self Defence, The Accommodation and the Safety (London-St Albans) and The Crown Prince (London-Birmingham), furthermore a London-Shenley service also operated in this area. With the decline of the stagecoach trade due to the establishment of the railway line in 1868, the number of pubs in Elstree gradually dwinded, The Green Dragon was turned into residential housing whilst The Red Lion was demolished in 1936. Three of the pubs, The Artichoke, The Holly Bush and The Plough carried on trading into the early 21st century, although rather intriguingly they closed within a few years of each other in the early 2010's. Fortunately due to a combination of preservation orders imposed by the local council, and grade II listed status, the original buildings for these specific pubs still exist to this day, which makes their story rather more intriguing. 

The oldest of the three pubs was the Holly Bush, first opened as early as 1450, it started off as a late medieval era open hall. The building was altered over the years, it was extended in the 17th century and gained another storey when fireplaces were added. In the 19th century brick and tile-work was added to the frontage, along with a timber-frame, it was re-fronted, and a further 3-bay extension to the cross wing was built within the former stables area. Aside from its exterior, the pub contained a number of fascinating features, such as the 17th century staircase, Inglenook Fireplace and the original beam work which was allegedly sourced from Newgate Prison. Notably due to the street height, customers had to step down to reach the bar-area, indeed the pub was well known for a number of hauntings, in 1970 then landlady Trixie Cadle spotted the outline of a head and shoulders in the dark creaking around the vicinity, a bearded man was also spotted wandering slowly around the pub, unsurprisingly it later featured in an episode of ‘Most Haunted’. By 1974, the building gained the coveted award of grade II listed status and by the eighties, the outdoor toilets were demolished and transferred indoors. At one time owned by Courage where its symbol still remains above the door, and in its final years it moved onto selling cask ales like Marstons Pedigree (4.5%). However, by 2011, the game was up and it subsequently closed. Incredibly, as of 2024, the building is still vacant and on sale with no buyer’s forthcoming, currently intended as a residential, office or restaurant property, perhaps there’s still a chance it could become a pub again? Meanwhile on the opposite side of the road, going down-hill towards Barnet Lane, resides the former premises of The Artichoke; records of this pub date back to 1750 and was opened as a coaching inn, notable a stopping point for The Crown Prince stagecoach. The building was also used for other means, in 1823 it was used by magistrates to investigate the murder of solicitor William Weare who was killed over a gambling bet of £300 to amateur boxer John Thurtell, an inquest was held on the 23rd October 1823, inside the pub by county coroner Benjamin Rooke. In 1870, disaster struck when the building burnt down and the pub was subsequently rebuilt, which explains for its mid-Victorian appearance. In its later years it was run by former Hertfordshire brewer Benskins, which operated a number of pubs around Hertfordshire and near its brewery in Watford; in March 2007 it's then owners Catherine and Bob Byron sold the pub and it subsequently turned into an Italian restaurant called La Messeria, which closed in May 2011. The following year it was taken over by Mendel Tajtelbaum who renamed it The Shitabel, a Jewish learning and community centre, when the Tajtelbaum Trust acquired the building the council stipulated they not significantly alter the building, including the pub sign, although they were allowed to rip out the ground floor area to make way for a prayer area and add extensions to the rear and side of the building; although no longer pub, though it’s 1870 structure still remains recognisable, it is a sad reminder to what we have lost in the pub trade. Meanwhile, further up the high street, resides The Plough, purported to have been built 1637, originally known as The Swan. In the 18th century, the inn was renamed The Plough and following the decline of the stagecoach trade it became popular with cyclists and passing motorists. It was also notable for attracting an number of famous film luminaries living along Barnet Lane whom worked at the nearby studios in Borehamwood, including Alfred Hitchcock who frequented this establishment during the 1930’s. In recent years, it was turned into a Chinese restaurant called The East which subsequently was succeeded by Kiss Kiss, an Italian restaurant, before closing in 2016. The original structure remains standing, with many of its original features still intact including it original timber frame structure, chimney stack and brick-work frontage. Another notable feature is the horse mounting block situated by the side building, which allowed riders to mount their horses with ease, after quaffing a pint or two. Rather fortunately, last year it was announced in the local press, pub company Star Pubs got approval from Hertsmere Council to reopen the pub for business, not only that, it’s former name The Plough with once again display proudly above the entrance and Elstree will once more have a pub serving the local area. 

The situation with the former pubs of Elstree High Street is a fascinating one, due to their historic status as coaching inns, preserved interiors and exteriors, the buildings for three of the pubs still remain intact, largely thanks to the buildings gaining listed status due to the numerous buildings of historic interest in the local area. The present state of the pubs is rather intriguing and not as forlorn as one would imagine, although The Artichoke has become a Jewish community centre, meanwhile The Holly Bush still remains vacant whilst The Plough is set to open as a pub once more, so there’s hope yet for the lost pubs of Elstree.