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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Leicestershire => England => Leicestershire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: marchbank on Monday 29 January 18 09:16 GMT (UK)

Title: Queens Head Inn, Town hall Lane, Leicester
Post by: marchbank on Monday 29 January 18 09:16 GMT (UK)

Can anyone she'd any light on this Inn, my ancestor John Hurst was victualler, would love a pic or map showing the place.

Title: Re: Queens Head Inn, Town hall Lane, Leicester
Post by: KGarrad on Monday 29 January 18 10:01 GMT (UK)

Still looking, but found this:

Opera Hotel  -

The 'Royal Opera House' opened in Leucester in 1877.  It was designed by prolific theatre architect C. J. Phipps and fronted onto Silver Street with a rear entrance on Cank Street.  The maximum capacity was for 2,550 people.  Having closed for a period during the 1950's, the Opera House re-opened in 1959 before finally closing down and being demolished in 1960.  (The Malcolm Arcade now occupies the site).

The nearby 'Queen's Head' on Town Hall Lane, changed its name to the 'Opera Hotel' in 1890 at the height of the Opera House's popularity.

and also this (from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Mediaeval_Leicester/Chapter_3):
The Queen's Head, which displayed its sign in Town Hall Lane, at the east end of St. Martin's Church, was, in all probability, the house from the gateway of which the first stage coaches started from Leicester to Nottingham and London. It was probably the same house and the same sign as the Maiden Head, which is mentioned in the Chamberlains' Accounts for 1591-2. "Recd. of Wm. Hobbye for a messuage or tent, with the appurtenances called the Maydenheadd and a garden thereunto belonging lying on the East syde of St. M'tyn's Churche in his occupation." The Maiden Head is said to have been adopted as a sign by many inns in compliment to Queen Catharine Parr, the last wife of Henry VIII, whose family bore for a crest, "a female's head, coup'd below the shoulders, habited az. on her head a wreath of roses alternatively ar. and gu."

Title: Re: Queens Head Inn, Town hall Lane, Leicester
Post by: KGarrad on Monday 29 January 18 10:09 GMT (UK)

And an article, with photo, here ;D
http://auntiemabel.org/2015/07/

Town Hall Lane was later renamed as Guildhall Lane - which still exists! ;D

Title: Re: Queens Head Inn, Town hall Lane, Leicester
Post by: BumbleB on Monday 29 January 18 10:11 GMT (UK)

Not named, but Silver Street and Cank Street can be seen on this map

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17&lat=52.6341&lon=-1.1379&layers=6&right=BingHyb

Title: Re: Queens Head Inn, Town hall Lane, Leicester
Post by: stanmapstone on Monday 29 January 18 10:49 GMT (UK)

You can see the Queens Head Inn named on this 1887 Town Plan https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/458524/304479/13/100245
You can change the zoom level with the - in the top left corner.
Stan

Title: Re: Queens Head Inn, Town hall Lane, Leicester
Post by: marchbank on Tuesday 30 January 18 18:55 GMT (UK)

Thank you everyone, that added a couple of leaves to my skinny twig 😊