Croxley Green History Project
  • Home
  • Chronicle
    • John Caius
    • Latin Document
    • Suffragettes
    • Suffragettes Damage
    • Queen Victoria
    • Regional Planning Report 1927
    • Proteas
  • Manor of Croxley
  • A Village Grows
  • Estates & Roads
    • A Stroll Down New Road >
      • Introduction
      • Odd Numbers
      • Census Interlude
      • Even Numbers
      • Appendix 1
      • Appendix 2
      • Appendix 3
    • Byewaters Estate
    • Council Houses
    • Cassiobridge Estate
    • Kebbell Housing
    • Durrants Estate
    • Highfield and Windmill Estate
    • Mayfare Estate
    • Nuttfield Estate
    • Parrotts Estate
    • Prefabricated Housing
    • Street Names >
      • Street Names
  • World Wars
    • War Memorial WW1
    • First World War 1914-1918
    • WWI Soldiers from Croxley
    • WW1 Centenary >
      • Community Club 03-10-2018
      • Celebrations 100 years 1918 -2019
      • Remembrance Day 11-11-2018
      • Residents Photographs 11-11-18
      • All Saints Memorial Doors
      • All Saints Memorial Doors Booklet
      • Peace Picnic 14-07-2019
    • Dickinson Memorial Cross
    • War Memorial WW2
    • Second World War 1939-1945 >
      • Civil Defence
      • Celebrations
      • Rationing
      • Croxley Mill
      • All Saints Rededication
      • Second World War Memories >
        • WW2 Memories - Glenn Kinnear
        • WW2 Memories - Jill Butler
    • WW2 Forces and Croxley Residents
    • War Memorial (Cleaning)
    • WW2 50th Commemorations
    • WW2 Secrets of Croxley House
    • WW2 Secrets of Redheath House
  • Schooldays
    • Children at Play
    • Yorke Road School >
      • Yorke Road School History
      • William Scorer - Architect of Yorke Road School
      • Leukaemia Research
      • Paul O'Reilly Builders
      • Grand Opening
    • Yorke Road Infants School
    • Yorke Road Girls School
    • The Old Boys School Watford Road
    • Harvey Road School
    • Durrants School >
      • Durrants Memories
      • Croxley Song Book
      • Croxley Song Book
      • Physical Education
    • Malvern Way School
    • Little Green School >
      • Little Green School - Architects Journal
    • Rickmansworth School
    • Yorke Mead School
    • Oak House Private School
  • Institute / Guildhouse
  • Railway to Croxley Green
    • Memories of the Tube
  • Shops & Businesses
  • Celebrating
    • Golden Jubilee Queen Victoria 1887
    • Diamond Jubilee Queen Victoria 1897
    • Coronation Edward VII 1902
    • Coronation George V 1911
    • Silver Jubilee George V 1935
    • Coronation George VI 1937
    • Festival of Britain 1951
    • Coronation Elizabeth II 1953
    • Coronation Charles III and Camilla 2023
  • Churches
    • All Saints Church >
      • All Saints Consecrated
      • All Saints First Baptisms
      • All Saints First Wedding
      • Reverend Astley Roberts
      • Reverend Blois Bisshopp
      • Reverend C. E. H. Donnell
    • Baptist Church
    • Fuller Way
    • Gospel Hall
    • Little Chapel Chandlers Cross
    • Methodist Church New Road
    • St Bedes
    • St Oswald Church
    • Sarratt Graveyard
  • Public Houses
    • The Artichoke
    • The Coach and Horses
    • Duke of York
    • The Fox and Hounds
    • George and Dragon
    • Gladstone Arms
    • The Halfway House
    • The Plough
    • The Red House
    • The Rose
    • The Sportsman
    • The Two Bridges
  • Community Activities
    • Croxley Camera Club >
      • Croxley Camera Club - Early Days
      • Croxley Camera Club - Moving Forward
      • Croxley Camera Club - Reaching the Majority
      • Croxley Camera Club - Inflation & Deflation
      • Croxley Camera Club - A New Millennium
      • Croxley Camera Club - In Retrospect
      • Croxley Camera Club Calendar
      • Croxley Camera Club - Collaborations
    • Church Lads Boys Brigade
    • Croxley Green Society >
      • Croxley Festival 1951
    • Croxley Mummers
    • Croxley Week
    • Girls Brigade
    • The Revels >
      • Revels Chronicle
      • Revels Archives
    • Parish Council >
      • Croxley Green Parish Map
      • Croxley Green Main
      • CGPC Craft Fair
    • The Red Cross Centre - Croxley Green >
      • Red Cross Donations & 25th Anniversary
      • Red Cross Lease & Documents
      • 1970s First Aid Training
      • Kathleen Wilcox 100th Birthday
    • Scouts Brownies Guides >
      • Scouting in Croxley Green >
        • Scouting through the years
        • Scouting Terminology
      • Scouting Memorabilia
    • Wassail
    • Youth Club
  • Sports
    • John Dickinson Sports >
      • Dickinson Sports - Tennis Club
      • Football Team
      • Ladies Hockey
      • Rifle Club
    • Football
    • National Association of Boys Club
    • Old Boys School
    • Old Boys Football Club
  • Croxley at Work
    • John Dickinson >
      • Aerial views of the Mill
      • Coal Deliveries
      • Croxley Worldwide
      • Fire Fighters >
        • William Beauchamp (Fire Fighter)
      • The Mill Railway
      • The Mill Employees >
        • Charles Barton-Smith
        • Percy Barton-Smith
        • Charles Hope Little
        • Union of the House of Dickinson
      • Mill Photos
      • General Views
      • Plans of the Mill
      • Delivery Vehicles
      • 1896 Booklet
      • JD Booklet
    • Blacksmiths
    • Coal Deliveries
    • Croxley Commercial College
    • G H Browning Recovery
    • Sand and Gravel
    • The Windmill
    • Watercress Growers
  • Croxley Farms
    • Croxley Hall Farm >
      • The Bovingdon Family & Croxley Hall Farm
      • Croxley Great Barn
    • Durrants Farm Estate
    • Hollow Tree Farm
    • Killingdown Farm
    • Lovatts Whitegates
    • Stones Orchard >
      • Stones Orchard Excavation
    • Parrotts Farm
  • Census & Register
    • Census 1841
    • Census 1851
    • Census 1861
    • Census 1871
    • Census 1881
    • Census 1891
    • Census 1901
    • Census 1911
    • Census 1921
    • 1939 Register
    • Population
  • Publications
    • 1896 Booklet
    • 1896 Booklet 1
    • The Croxley Resident Archives
    • The Parish Pump Issue 1 to 26
    • Parish Pump Issue 27 to Current
    • Local Directories
  • Village Views
    • Aerial Photos
    • Croxley From Above
    • Before and After >
      • B&W / Recoloured
      • Original / Modern
      • Merged B&W / Colour
  • Famous Locals
  • Local Memories
  • Recorded Memories
  • Trees on the Green
  • Walking in Croxley
    • Historical Boundary Walk
    • Circular Walks
    • Around Croxley Common Moor
    • Village Walk
    • Wartime Walk in Croxley Green
  • Albert Freeman Diaries
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1915
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1917
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1918
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1919
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1920
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1921
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1922
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1923
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1924
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1925
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1926
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1927
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1928
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1929
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1930
    • Albert Freeman Diaries 1931
  • HELP
    • Page Directory
    • Useful Links
    • Committee
    • Copyright
  • Contact Us
Public Houses
For many centuries premises selling alcohol for consumption were limited mainly to coaching inns for travellers requiring overnight accommodation or local beerhouse.

Many of the establishments recorded for census purposes were listed with a variety of names including tavern, inn, beer house, public house, and later 'off license'.  Each was a distinct type, depending on the size and the amenities offered. The owners, especially of the larger premises, were sometimes listed as ‘victuallers’.

In many rural areas including Croxley Green the term 'beerhouse' referred to a business run by a wife to supplement her husband's income, usually from one of a variety of country or farm occupations.

Beer was the preferred drink by many, considered a safer option, as water was generally unfit for consumption until measures were introduced to eliminate contamination. However, the term ‘beer’ was simply used for ale-water that was made from malt, barley and yeast. Ale-water technically only became beer when hops were added.

Hertfordshire's reputation during this early period for growing good barley became important in encouraging the growth of the brewery industry.  Barley growing saw a significant rise in the area, as part of the agricultural production that played such an important part in England's economy in the nineteenth century.

As transport facilities and local roads connecting towns and villages improved opportunities arose where local breweries could be set up especially when their recipes were of high quality and flavour.

Samuel Salter of Rickmansworth became a well known local brewer and delivered casks to the local pubs. Samuel arrived in Rickmansworth c1720, aged about 25 years, and settled in the town and began his family business - the exact date not known. With the Grand Union Canal making its way south from Braunston to London many branch canals were cut to allow businesses easy access to the main section. One of these was specially dug to the Salter's Brewery and known as Salter's Cut. It is still visible today, although the brewery has closed and the site has been redeveloped.

Other brewers known to have supplied Croxley Green were Benskins of Watford (some of the original premises now house Watford Museum) and further afield Taylor-Walkers from Stepney, London, and Thomas Clutterbuck of Stanmore.

The Wine and Beerhouse Act 1869 reintroduced the stricter controls from the previous century. The sale of beers, wines or spirits required a licence for the premises from the local magistrates. 

As these new laws were introduced and a compulsory license for each premise had to be approved it became usual for premises named beer houses to provide only beers whereas a public house sold beers, wines and spirits.

Considered a popular meeting place for the male working class, these facilities in the countryside provided opportunities for social gatherings, where men could meet and enjoy their leisure times.  As focal points in the community, Croxley Green had many such premises, often with sporting connections and teams who would compete against each other. Early popular games were quoits and skittles; others such as darts and dominoes soon followed.

At the time when the new licensing laws were beginning to place more controls on premises, the Rickmansworth area, which included Maple Cross and West Hyde as well as Croxley Green, had the highest number of licensed premises to concentration of population in the county.  Listed with thirty four public houses and twenty beer houses, Croxley Green certainly made a contribution to these numbers, but they fell drastically in the area over the years. By 1900 Croxley Green had approximately nine establishments where alcohol could be obtained. They were, on Scots Hill, The Plough, The George & Dragon and The Sportsman. The Green provided tranquil settings for The Artichoke and The Coach & Horses.  New Road had The Fox & Hounds and The Rose.  Along the Watford Road was The Duke of York (previously named The Gladstone Arms) and The Red House, and at Cassiobridge nearby to the canal The Halfway House. In due course The Two Bridges was built at the junction between Baldwins Lane and Watford Road, replacing The Halfway House, which was demolished when the bridge was widened.  At the present time the public houses still remaining in Croxley Green are The Sportsman, The Artichoke, The Coach & Horses, The Fox & Hounds, The Red House. The Two Bridges is now a restaurant called The Harvester. There are two social clubs also with bars, The Community Centre and The Guild of Sports.

 Public houses have changed considerably since the times when large brewery companies had the monopoly over a long period and now many have reverted to offering customers a much wider choice, including 'local special real ale/beers.'  Food is often available and in many cases the pubs have virtually become restaurants, providing a comprehensive menu as well as alcohol and beverages.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
CGHP are proud to be included on the Imperial War Museum "Mapping the Centenary" project website. You can see other projects HERE and our project HERE
© Ross Humphries
Clicking on a photo will open it in a new window to hopefully be viewable more easily​
Please contact us should you wish to contribute or have images you would like to share. Contact HERE
Picture
© Croxley Green History Project 2025        Legal | Privacy

If you have any questions or comments please use the contact page