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

Drinking in an Old English Town

Royal Hotel, 314 Old Church Road, Foleshill

Alternative Addresses:	3 Chapel Lane, Foleshill
These premises have been known by different names during their history:	FROM	TO	NAME
	1799	c1859	HELP ME THROUGH THE WORLD
	1845	1850	BEERHOUSE
	c1859	present	ROYAL HOTEL
Before 1859 this was the HELP ME THROUGH THE WORLD. In that year the bench refused the license of Johnathan Smith for the ROYAL HOTEL. This is a large old-fashioned pub with many small rooms. It was the site of Spencer's Rock Brewery until 1912. It has a complete set of Phillips & Marriotts windows. Until 1928 the pub sat alongside Chapel Lane. However, with Coventry's huge boundary extension of that year, the original Church Road and Chapel Lane were renamed Old Church Road. In March 2013, twin brothers Jason and Kevin Keenan bought the lease from Punch Taverns and spent £126,000 revamping the 200 year old pub, saving it from closure. The pub, closely associated with the former Courtaulds factory nearby, features pictures on the wall of prominent local figures from down the years. See more here. We give grateful thanks to Jayne Brown, who has allowed us to use this wonderful photo of her granddad, Robert Pearson (on the left of the lady in the picture), taken outside the Royal Hotel on Old Church Road. The couple lived in Foleshill. The plaque above the doorway showing 'Pritchard' suggests that this photo was taken some time between 1908 and 1912, and the couple in the doorway are probably Thomas George Pritchard and his wife Lottie, who assisted him. This name is a simple statement of loyalty to the monarchy.
LICENSEES: 1859 - 1861 Johnathan Smith beerhouse keeper & maltster 1868 Charlotte Archer 1868 Jessie Goode 1874 - 1892 Michael Spencer (Holmes) & brewer & yeast dealer 1894 Samuel Hadden 1908 Thomas Joseph Kelly 1908 - 1912 Thomas George Pritchard 1924 Harry Greaves 1929 - 1931 A. Buckland 1931 Philip Farmer 1931 - 1940 Harry Perkin 1982 Ernie Rigby 2013 Jason and Kevin Keenan