The Fiddlers Arms, Gornal Wood

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The Fiddlers Arms

'The Fiddle'

Photo CDM 2015

The Fiddlers Arms, 16 [13,14] Straits Road, Gornal Wood.

1863: Sale notice

At The FIDDLER'S FARM YARD, Gornal Wood, in the Parish of Sedgley, in the county of Stafford Mr. BATEMAN will SELL by AUCTION, upon the Premises, at FIDDLER'S FARM YARD, GORNAL WOOD, SEDGLEY, on Monday the 27th day of August, the FARMING STOCK, comprising strong and useful cart and hack horses, colts, pigs, &c; impliments, carts, dobbins, harrows, planks, 10-horse power traction pumpimg engine with driving wheel and all apparatus complete, and a lift of 6-inch cast-iron pump trees, 40 feet in length; 3-horse power chaff cutting engine, with driving wheels, banding and chaff boxes complete; large quantity of long and thiller gearing; chaff cutting machines, weighing machines and weights, and various other effects of Mr. Daniel Fisher, Contractor, who is giving up the farm, full and descriptive particulars of which will be given in catalogues of sale, to be distributed, and which may be obtained at the Fiddler's Arms, Gornal Wood, and from the AUTIONEER, Dudley.

Sale to commence at eleven o'clock precisely.

Known locally as the 'Fiddle'.

First licensed around 1860, the pub was built on the site of an old farm.

An adjacent barn provided temporary shelter for a local break-away Methodist group.

It seems that the Fiddle continued to function as a farm as well as the public house up until at least 1880.

It was a well known and liked public house throughout the district up to recent times.

Finally closing in 2017 and demolished in 2023, the land to be developed.

The Fiddler's Arms depicted on an early 1960s postcard.

CDM Collection.

2021, dilapidated and fire damaged.

The property was sold by Marstons brewery to a developer in 2013, the new owners offered the premises as a pub tenancy once again.

Despite the short reprieve, the pub finally closed on 14 December 2017 despite many efforts to save it.
After this time whilst it was unoccupied, the building fell into disrepair and in early 2021, developers put forward plans to demolish it and build houses on the site.

The local council and residents objected to the proposals on the grounds of this locally listed building's historical importance, and the application to demolish was withdrawn in May 2021.

The building suffered an arson attack just a couple of weeks later, some coincidence!
It was around 7.30pm on Friday, 4th June 2021 that firemen tackled a blaze which appears to have gutted part of the building.

The pub was finally demolished June, 2023.

Unfortunately the 'Fiddle' went the same way as so many other pubs in our area, "use them or lose them!".

The Fiddle was erected on the site of a farmhouse (no known image, but most likely a three storey, flat-fronted 18th century building), last farmed by Paul Russell (b.1796, Himley, d. 1865, Cotwall End).
Paul Russell relinquished the farm in 1849 when a new lease (from the Earl of Dudley) threatened massively increased rents (Paul took on the lease of Cotwall End farm a couple of years later).
The (Fiddle site) farm was inconvenient in that the land came in two separate parcels, eight fields adjacent to the Himley Road at Askew Bridge, and four fields on the slopes of Turner's Hill.
The reason for the rent hike was most likely the strong (but unfulfilled) possibility of coal deposits beneath the Askew Bridge fields.
The great barn however survived when the other farm buildings were demolished. The lease of the newly built pub did include some land (presumably for barley) at Turner's Hill, but none at Askew Bridge.
[Additional information courtesy of Jack Falstaff]

1880 Sale notice, Dudley and District News, September 18.

Under Bill of Sale and Execution

TO FARMERS, AGRICULTURISTS, PUBLICANS, BROKERS AND OTHERS.
-----
FIDDLERS ARMS, GORNAL WOOD
-----

Mr. B. BELLINGHAM (Late John Bent and Bellingham) will SELL BY AUCTION, on WEDNESDAY, September 22nd, 1880, the STOCK-IN-TRADE, GROWING CROPS, HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, and other Effects, belonging to Mr. Benjamin Smith, (under Bill of Sale and Execution), comprising Household Furniture, Feather and Flock Beds, Bed Linen, Iron and Wood Bedsteads, Cane-seated Chairs, Wash Stands, Dressing Tables and Toilet Glasses, Oil Paintings and Prints, Carpets, Mahogany Chests, Drawers, Sofa, Mahogany Centre Table, Chairs, Benches, Cross-legged and Oblong Tables, Tap Table (Metal top), Ale and Spirit Measures, Stone Liquor Barrels, Four-pull Bear Machine and Piping, Decanters, Jugs, and Glasses, Ale Cans, Copper Kitchen, and Kitchen Utensils, Brewing Vats, Two Iron Boilers and Seatings, Mash Tub, Copper-bottomed Sieve, and Brewing Utensils, quantity of Hogshead, Half-Hogshead, and other Casks, &c., also FOUR STRONG CART HORSES, Five Sets of Harness, Stable Tools, Trolley, Rakes, and Pikes, Chaff-cutting Machine, Winnowing Machine, Iron Ploughs and Scuffles, Iron Roll, Harrows and Chain, Timber, Carts and Waggon, and FARM PRODUCE, comprising Rick of Hay, Rick of Clover, and about Four Acres of Growing Vetches, Twelve Acres of Growing Wheat (part cut), Four Acres of Clover, Eight Acres of Barley, and three Acres of Oats.
The Sale will commence at 10.30 a.m., prompt.
The Auctioneer's reserves to himself the right of selling the Growing Crops by Private Treaty, before the day of the Sale.

'The Fiddler's Arms', from a sketch by Austin Moseley, 1971.

Licensees:

1857, Mr Fisher.
1865, Joseph Beddard. [Jones's Mercantile Directory]
1868, Joseph Beddard. [P.O. Directory]
1871, Benjamin Smith, age 49, farmer of 50 acres. [Census]
1878, Benjamin Smith -he died in 1879.
1881, John R. Yates, age 26, licensed victualler. [Census]
1901, Ann Jevon, widow age 57, licensed victualler & farmer. [Census]
1896-1904, Mrs Ann Jevon. [Kelly's Trade Directory]
1901, Ann Jevon, widow age 67, licensed victualler & farmer. [Census]
1911, Benjamin Evans, licensed victualler. [Census]
1912-1921, Benjamin Evans. [Kelly's Trade Directory]
1924-1928, John Evans. [Kelly's Trade Directory]
1936, William Evans. [Kelly's Trade Directory]
1939, John Evans, licensed victualler. (Nr. 13) [Register]
1940, William Evans. [Kelly's Trade Directory]

Rear of the Fiddlers Arms, 2022.

this aye fur noggin yeds