There are around 670 existing and lost pubs in Cambridge. Cambridge, as far as this project is concerned, is the city of Cambridge and the parish of Chesterton: it will not include the two parishes that were brought within Cambridge’s municipal boundaries in 1934 (Cherry Hinton and Trumpington). This study will focus on pubs. For the purposes of this study, inns are counted as pubs. To be classed as a pub, the premises should, as per CAMRA’s definition:
- be open to the general public without requiring admission, membership or residency
- serve at least one draught beer or cider
- allow drinking without requiring food to be consumed, and have at least one indoor area not laid out for meals
- allow customers to buy drinks at a bar without relying on table service.
This study will therefore not include wine bars, night clubs and restaurants, but it will include ‘Tom and Jerry shops’ (unlicensed beer houses), as a matter of historic interest. By necessity, this study will look at the breweries of Cambridge and further afield, not least because many inns and pubs brewed their own beer (e.g. the Live and Let Live) and many breweries had a ‘tap’ (a room or building acting as drinking premises – e.g. the Rhadegund Tap). The relationship between breweries and, for example, the railway, will be studied: new transport technology meant the import of beer from further away.
Meanwhile, there are so many pubs to look at. Here are a few that, apart from having interesting-sounding names have fascinating histories.
Fat Pig (Norfolk Street) Changed its name c.1878 to the Tailors Arms. The building still stands, now used as a house, but until quite recently the Norfolk Street Deli.
Snowcat (Arbury Road) This was an ‘estate pub’ that opened at the end of 1959. It was named after the tracked vehicles used by Edmund Hilary and Vivian Fuchs in their Trans-Antarctic crossings 1956-58. These were the first ever overland crossings of Antarctica. If memory serves, the vehicle featured on the early pub signs.
Lion in the Wood (East Road) Changed its name in 1829 to the Britannia. This was one of the earliest pubs on East Road.
First Two Trades (King Street) I can’t imagine what the trades were and I have never seen or heard of a pub similarly named.
Labour in Vain (Russell Street) – the standard pub sign for which has, historically been very dubious.
Every House in Town (New Street) In 1866, whilst appearing in court charged with “allowing prostitutes to remain too long over refreshments” the landlord was asked by the Mayor, good humouredly, who had given the house its name. Landlord “I don’t know Sir, it had the sign long before I had it”.
Haunch of Mutton (Corn Exchange Street) One of a number of meat-themed pubs (Red Cow, White Bull, Jolly Butchers, Lamb) that lined the final route taken by livestock coming to Cambridge – from the cattle pens of St. Andrew’s Hill, down Corn Exchange Street (Slaughterhouse Lane) to the market (Butchers’ Row).
Robinson Crusoe was a pub on a small island in Coe Fen now known as Robinson Crusoe Island and what used to be called Swan’s Nest – a name shared by both the pub and the island in the early 19th century. It is the tiny islet in Cambridge where the River Cam splits between Coe Fen and Sheep’s Green. Up until 1898, to get access to the island one had to take a ferry that was run by the landlord of the pub.