Three Tuns, 1 Bull Yard
| These premises have been known by different names during their history: | FROM | TO | NAME |
| 1966 | c2002 | THREE TUNS | |
| c2002 | present | BAR INCA | |
After the original Warwick Row THREE TUNS COMMERCIAL HOTEL was demolished, as part of the general post-war redevelopment of the city centre, it was replaced by a new building, which opened in the Bull Yard in 1966 incorporating a relief mural by William Mitchell in concrete and pebble aggregate.
In 1982 Chris Arnott wrote that 'it's like drinking in a large packing case with windows. The designer apparently modelled it on the lines of a warehouse. The idea is to make it look basic and down-to-earth, so there's sawdust strewn across the tiled floor, there's genuine gas lighting, wood veneer benches and hand pumps on the bar'. The upstairs function room had a bar and regular discos. The licensee at this time was Martin McKeown.
The premises were later converted to an indian restaurant and renamed, but for a short time around 2008 the Three Tuns name returned.
The mural is a grade II listed structure, but its future is somewhat in doubt. Coventry Council have announced plans to redevelop the Bull Yard area of the precinct in which this mural can be found. A flickr site of images is here, but I wouldn't bother too much. It's all fairly standard developer stuff; bland and non location specific, promising blue skies, bright colours and smiling people, but in reality delivering the same old, same old... NO PUBS!
Still we have it on pretty good authority that the mural will be saved and incorporated into the new scheme, maybe hidden away on an inside wall somewhere so it can avoid the worst of the Midlands weather.A tun is a large cask containing wine or other liquids, with a capacity of two pipes, or four hogsheads, or 252 old wine gallons. Three tuns appear on the arms of the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Brewers. | |||
LICENSEES:1982 Martin McKeown | |||
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