The Definitive Guide to the History of
Pubs and Beerhouses in Coventry

Drinking in an Old English Town

Old White Friar, 76 Much Park Street

These premises have been known by different names during their history:	FROM	TO	NAME
	1835		BEERHOUSE
	c1835	1903	OLD WHITE FRIAR
	1888	1903	OLD FRIAR INN
William Reading at 76 Much Park Street, who had been a stonemason, opened the OLD WHITE FRIAR Public House c1835 and continued until 1863 when he handed the business to his son Henry. The 1851 Board of Health map shows two premises called the WHITE FRIAR opposite each other - The WHITE FRIAR TAVERN on the corner of Whitefriars Street and Much Park Street (No.73) - and opposite, on the south side (No.76, this pub), THE WHITE FRIAR P.H. - at the point where Much Park Street joins London Road (and adjacent to where New Gate, in the city wall, once stood). Despite the map's labelling, however, this pub was actually the OLD WHITE FRIAR, and this name persisted in license transfer reports until closure in 1903, despite the fact that from 1888, when George Bates took over the license, it became the OLD FRIAR INN. By 1903 the area was considered to be congested, so in March that year it was proposed to surrender the license in order that an off-beerhouse license could be granted to premises at 40 Elly's Road, and by April 1903 the pub had closed.
LICENSEES: 1835 - 1863 William Reading, beer retailer 1863 Henry Reading (son of William) 1879- 1882 Joseph Archer, baker 1886 - 1888 William Joseph Lindon 1888 - 1893 George Bates 1893 - 1896 Henry Arrowsmith 1896 - 1902 Andrew London 1902 - 1903 William Morton
Street plan of 1851