Windmill, 105-106 Spon Street
| Alternative Addresses: | Spon Causeway | ||
| These premises have been known by different names during their history: | FROM | TO | NAME |
| 1798 | 1970 | WINDMILL | |
| ? | ? | BEERHOUSE | |
The pub was close to Spon St Bridge which was built in 1767/68
In 1756 four soldiers were billeted here. In 1798 the premises were occupied by William Ratcliff.
Occasionally between 1881 and 1886 the pub was referred to in newspapers as WINDMILL VAULTS.
Between 1830 and 1837 the licensee was John 'Fatty' Adrian, a renowned local prize fighter. He gained his nickname not from his physique but because he once won a suckling pig for scaling a high pole that was covered in goose grease. Naturally, after completing the feat he was covered in goose grease so after that he was always known as 'Fatty'.
On 14th November 1830 a fight took place between Fatty Adrian of the Windmill and a Mr. Betteridge for £20 a side in a field behind the Engine pub in Longford. The police interfered so the fight was reconvened in Fillongley five months later. Adrian lost and this is thought to have been the last bare-knuckle bout in Coventry, although the banned sport is rumoured to have been a regular fixture in secret rooms at The Albany Club in Earlsdon during the 1950s and 60s.
John Adrian also kept the Leopard Inn in Smithford Street and the Pitts Head in Gosford Street at different times.
The pub was known as the Wrexham for a while in the nineteenth century because it sold Walker's Wrexham Ales.
On the 9th January 1969 The council out in the official Compulsory Purchase Order for the demolition of the Windmill and all surrounding buildings as part of the redevelopment of the part of Spon Street left isolated on the 'outside' of the new Inner Ring Road. The modern Spon Gate Primary School now stands on the site.This name probably marks the site or proximity of a former windmill. | |||
LICENSEES:1822 - 1823 J. Simmons 1827 Thomas Clayton (died July 1827) 1828 William Clayton 1830 - 1839 John 'Fatty' Adrian (moved to the Star and Raven) 1839 - 1848 William Alliban (See also the Beerhouse, Sherbourne Street) 1848 - 1854 James Baker, watchfinisher 1854 - 1874 Charles Banbury (See also the Beerhouse, Stoney Stanton Road) 1876 - 1878 Joseph Sheppard 1878 - 1879 Gustave Francois Niay 1879 Peter Walker & Co. 1879 Joseph Bagnall (July to November) 1879 - 1881 William Toye 1886 George Fletcher 1890 - 1905 J. Pearson 1909 O. Clarke 1911 - 1913 Frank Piper 1919 - 1924 Susannah Piper 1926 - 1940 A. Loach 1952 - 1960 and onwards Albert Arnold (see also at the Nugget, Coundon Green 1942 - 44, and at the Three Horseshoes, Stoney Stanton Road from 1944 - 51) | |||
 Street plan of 1851 | |||