Old Ball, 62 Walsgrave Road
| Alternative Addresses: | Sowe Road, Stoke Knob | ||
| These premises have been known by different names during their history: | FROM | TO | NAME |
| OLD BALL INN | |||
| BALL | |||
The obvious nature of this symbol has made it a popular sign since the fifteenth century.
King Richard II visited Coventry in 1385. Two of his favourites, Thomas Mowbray of Caludon, Duke of Norfolk, and Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, had made various accusations against each other including treason and murder. The matter was referred to trial by combat to the death. The King himself chose the meeting place - open ground on Gosford Green - and tradition has it that he pitched the royal camp with a huge attendant army on rising ground overlooking the site where the Old Ball now stands. The combat never took place because King Richard halted it and banished both combatants: Mowbray for life; Henry for 10 years. The latter was back long before that to overthrow Richard and become King Henry IV.
The rising ground on which the Old Ball stands was originally known as Stoke Knob. It is said that the name Ball Hill was derived from the Ball Inn, which became the Old Ball Hotel in the early years of the twentieth century. On 23rd. February 1802 the pub was advertised to let.
In 1907 the license of the Turks Head in Warwick Lane was given up in consideration of the Justice's permission for alterations to the Old Ball.
The Old Ball at the top of Stoke Knob c1900. | |||
LICENSEES:1835 Francis Howes (Ball) 1841 Joseph Duggins 1845 W. Johnson 1850 David Sidwell 1863 - 1866 Joseph Hall 1868 - 1892 William Chattaway & coal retailer 1903 R. W. Hammerton 1905 - 1909 Robert Herbert 1911 - 1913 Arthur Charles 'Nat' Robinson & footballer (28/2/1878 to 15/5/1929) (see clipping and Wikipedia entry) 1919 Walter Gawthorp 1921 - 1924 P. Carew 1926 - 1927 A. Cave 1933 - 1936 A. S. Remington 1937 - 1940 H. S. Remington 1955 - 1957 Frank W. Bird 1960 Wilfred Finn (see above, previously also at the Five Ways Inn, Harnall Lane from 1957 - 58 and at the Binley Hotel from 1958 - 60) 1960 - 1962 Walter Bromley (also at the Biggin Hall, Binley Road from 1963 - 66) 1982 Greg Rogan | |||
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