The Albion - pub history

History

 

A local saying is that every old house in Ware had at one time or another been a public house. Being recognised as probably Ware's oldest thoroughfare, Crib Street plays its part in Ware's rich heritage of licensed houses. Records give a total of 10 pub names in Crib Street.

Now there is only one pub still open for trade; The Albion. It was run by Ron Herse, his wife Bella and her sister Stella until 1987 and by John and Christine Broughton till 1998.

 

The Albion had a skittle alley in 1867 at the time when it was supplied by Phillips, the brewers of Royston. Later it was Flowers before the Whitbread take over. In 1845 it was acquired by Robert Welford Page, brewer of Ware. He built a malting on adjoining property. The earliest sign was recorded as depicting the White Cliffs of Dover; not the current ones or their predecessors, which show the HMS Albion.

The 1911 Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Hertfordshire describes the following: 'The Albion Inn, is a two storeyed house built late in the C16 or early C17, of timber and plaster, but partly rebuilt with modern brick; the roof is tiled. The plan is L-shaped; on the street front the ground storey is of modern brick; the upper storey is set with heavy studs and has angle-braces at the corners. The back is roughly plastered. Condition - good; partly rebuilt'.

 

This is an abridged version of A Brief History of the Pubs of Crib Street which can be found in full on the Ware Online website.