Vauxhall Tavern, 46 Days Lane, Hillfields
| Alternative Addresses: | East Street, Vauxhall Terrace | ||
| These premises have been known by different names during their history: | FROM | TO | NAME |
| 1851 | BRICKMAKERS ARMS | ||
| 1861 | c1991 | VAUXHALL TAVERN | |
This pub is shown as the BRICKLAYERS ARMS on the 1851 Board of Health map on the site of the later VAUXHALL TAVERN, which can be seen on the Town Planning map of 1888.
Hillfields developed from 1846 on, starting from King William Street. Since the Vauxhall was in outer Hillfields, the earliest reference I have to the pub is 1861. As the suburb developed it encircled a large private estate. The estate can be seen on the Ordnance Map of 1889 occupying the area from Raglan Street and Days Lane to Yardley Street, Berry Street and Vernon Street. Whilst Day's Lane was already in existence, it was only built up on the south side, which included the Vauxhall Tavern. The large house at the centre of this estate was called 'Vauxhall Cottage' and the pub stood opposite the drive to this house. This drive later became Vauxhall Street. I have never seen any reference to the gardens in Hillfields being open to the public. Perhaps the owner was so pleased with his provincial garden that he decided to style the name of his property after the famous gardens in London. The pub was the Vauxhall because it stood opposite the entrance to this private estate.
Between 1861 and 1934 the license was held by just three families: from 1861 to 1886 by Samuel Smith, from 1890 to 1922 by various members of the Tipping family and from 1924 to 1934 by S. Hyde.
By the early 1990s the pub now on the junction of Day's Lane and Vauxhall Street had closed. Its shallow relief brick with stonework pilasters suggest the early years of the 20th century to me, so it is not the original building. It has now become student accommodation.
The name Vauxhall came from a part of Lambeth in London, so called from the lord of the manor in the early 13th century called Falkes de Breaute, who was a supporter of King John. His house was Falkes Hall, later Fulkes Hall and hence Vauxhall. In 1661 gardens were laid out as a pleasure resort which provided refreshment, musical entertainment, fireworks, displays of pictures and statuary etc. and at night it was lit by over 1,000 lamps. By the time of Pepys's diary, it had become Fox Hall and it is a short step from there to 'Vauxhall'. The gardens are referred to by Dickens and Thackeray, by which time they seemed decidedly unsavoury and they closed in 1859. | |||
LICENSEES:1858 Henry Freeman 1858 - 1886 Samuel Smith 1890 - 1903 Mrs Jane Tipping 1905 - 1913 John Tipping 1919 - 1922 Mrs. Lily Tipping 1924 - 1934 S. Hyde 1935 - 1940 F. J. Toney 1985 Richard & Edwina Broyd | |||
 Street plan of 1851 | |||
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Google map location (Due to the scaling on old maps, the pin location might not be 100% accurate.) | |||