HERE is the fourth selection from Swindon photographer Mike Dolman’s collection of mid-1980s pub images.
Each was taken with the Canon AE1 SLR he bought from a former colleague who had tried to set up a photography business.
Mike, 60, a retired civil servant who lives in Rodbourne Cheney, decided to photograph every pub in and around Swindon to develop his skills with the camera. He also captured many images of pubs elsewhere in Wiltshire.
THE CORNFLOWER
THIS building is readily recognisable as The Windmill, Freshbrook’s community pub in the village centre. When Mike Dolman took this photo, however, the pub was still going by its original name, The Cornflower. It was still fairly new at the time, and its recreation of an ‘olde worlde’ inn style was a departure from 1960s and 1970s architectural trends for new-build pubs.
THE BELL HOTEL
OLD Town’s Bell Hotel began serving customers in the 19th century, but inns were reputed to have stood on the site for four centuries before that. Many changes, both internal and external would take place in the years after this photograph was taken. It has been closed for some years, apart from a brief period following a refit. What the future holds for the historic structure remains to be seen.
THE BLACK HORSE, WANBOROUGH
CLOSED in 2012 and converted into private accommodation, The Black Horse was a traditional country inn whose garden was a particular favourite during the warmer months. The idyll was marred by some especially horrible plastic chairs when Mr Dolman captured this image.
THE CROWN HOTEL, WOOTTON BASSETT
PARKING arrangements outside the Crown Hotel have changed somewhat since the mid-1980s, and so has the name of the town thanks to its magnificent role in comforting the loved ones of fallen military personnel. The appearance of the hotel itself has changed little, however, and it remains one of Royal Wootton Bassett’s most familiar buildings.
THE ELY INN, WROUGHTON
LIKE fellow Wroughton pub The Brown Jack, The Ely Inn was named after a superb locally-trained racehorse. Later renamed The Wroughton, it was closed by the turn of the century and demolished to make way for flats.
THE FIRST CLASS CARRIAGE
ONE of the most obscure hostelries in the archive, The First Class Carriage occupies a prominent town centre site. The building is now occupied by The Mailcoach, which formerly occupied not just this part of the building but also the part now known as The Locomotive. The building was also known as The Locomotive in the past, as most fans of Swindon – and Swindon pubs – are aware. Can anybody tell us for how long The First Class Carriage operated?
THE FOUNTAIN
THE Fountain in Old Town is now The Pig on the Hill, but it has been known by several other names including Cartoons and The Hobgoblin. The frontage of the building remains largely unchanged, but there have been extensive changes to the internal layout. Outdoor seating and tables occupy the space where cars once parked.
THE FROME HOTEL
BY the time Mr Dolman photographed The Frome Hotel at the corner of Swindon’s Hythe Road and Maidstone Road, it had already been converted into private accommodation. A ceramic wall plaque outside advertises the long-defunct West Country Ales Brewery. Mr Dolman regrets not photographing the pub before its closure toward the end of the 1970s. He recalls that the interior fittings were very traditional and impressive.
THE ROLLING MILLS
FOR decades one of Swindon’s best known pubs, The Rolling Mills at the corner of Bridge Street and King Street was named after a metalworking machine used to produce rails. In later years the building became home to a betting shop.
- Do you have memories of these pubs you'd like to share? Contact Barrie Hudson on 01793 501821 or email bhudson@swindonadvertiser.co.uk
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