The Granville Public House Luton

The Granville Hotel about 1950 [WB/Green4/5/Lu/Gran1]

The Granville Public House: 18 Cheapside, Luton [formerly the Plait Hall Hotel]

The 1876 Licensing Register for the county states that the Plait Hall was first licensed in 1869. The Plait Halls themselves were, as the name suggests, a place for the buying and selling of straw plait, so vital to Luton's straw hat trade.

In 1872 owner of the licensed premises Matthew Field of Castle Street, butcher, leased the Plait Hall to its licensee John Williams for £30 per annum in rent. Williams agreed to purchase his ale, beer and porter from Wadsworth & Thaire of Luton, brewers [WB/Green4/1/Lu/Gran1]. In the same year Field conveyed the Plait Hall to the symmetrically named James James of Aylesbury [Buckinghamshire] for £600 [WB/Green4/1/Lu/Gran2].

By 1897 the Plait Hall had been renamed the Granville (directories suggest this occurred between 1890 and 1894) and had been purchased by Luton brewer John William Green as it appears as freehold property of the newly floated J. W. Green Limited [WB/Green1/1/1]. He may have purchased it at the same time as Wadsworth & Thaire in 1875 or subsequently.

The Granville closed for the last time on 9th January 1972. It was, along with thwe rest Cheapside and Waller Street, subsequently demolished to make way for the Arndale Centre.

The Granville about 1960 [WB/Flow4/5/Lu/Gran3]

Sources:

• WB/Green4/1/Lu/Gran1: agreement to lease the Plait Hall: 1872;
• WB/Green4/1/Lu/Gran2: conveyance of the Plait Hall: 1872;
• WBGreen5/5/1: register of successive tenants to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: 1887-1926;
• WB/Green1/1/1: record of articles of association and licensed houses owned by J.W.Green Limited: 1897-1936
• WL800/3: photograph of the Granville ale stores: c. 1925;
• WL801/42: negative of the Granville ale stores: c. 1925;
• WB/Green4/2/4: certificate of title to licensed properties of J.W.Green Limited: 1936-1952;
• WB/Green4/2/5: list of licensed properties of J.W.Green Limited: c.1936;
• WB/Green6/4/1: trade analysis ledger of J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: 1936-1947;
• WB/Green4/2/10: schedule of deeds to J.W.Green Limited licensed premises: c.1949;
• WB/Green4/2/16: letter from J.W.Green to solicitors Lawrance, Messer & Company asking which licensed properties had been in continuous occupation: 24 Jul 1952;
• WB/Green4/2/17: Trust Deed of J.W.Green Limited with list of licensed premises: 1952-1972;
• WB/Green4/2/19: Various loose schedules of deeds and documents: c.1954;
• WB/Flow4/5/Lu/Gran1-3: photographs: 1960s;
• WB/Green7/7/1: LutonTown centre Historic Pubs and Breweries Trail pamphlet.

Licensees: Note that this is not a complete list; italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known

1871: Francis Walter Atkins;
1872: John Williams
1874: Charles James Muckall;
1874: Joseph Neath;
1875: George Thomas Parnaby;
1876: Robert Ballard;
1876: Thomas Coates Johnson;
1890: Mrs. Annie Lambert;
1894: Mrs. Mary Saunders - change of name to the Granville;
1898: Fred Cooper;
1901: William Cubitt Treen;
1907: Best;
1909: Joseph Ryder Treen;
1916: Joseph Bates;
1929: Martha Bates;
1945: Leslie Frank Hill;
1956: John Harman;
1963: Robert William Allen;
1964: Robert William Allen and Reginald William Wood;
1965: Robert William Allen;
1967: Norman Arthur Hards;
1969: Norman Arthur Hards and Sydney Bertram Pope;
1971: Norman Arthur Hards
Public house closed 9th January 1972.