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Catherine Wheel

 

 


The Catherine Wheel was situated at 2 Cross Street. This pub was originally known as The Three Horseshoes. By 1853 it was referred to as The St Catherines Wheel in the Uxbridge Directory. It closed in 1926.
Source: Tony Mitchell
 

 
Many friends of old Uxbridge will be pleased to see that Mr H. R. S. Turner has taken over the premises of the old inn known as The Catherine Wheel in Cross Street, for an antique business. For a good many years the inn sign has been hanging from the front of the house, this being in cast iron and doubtless the work of some local blacksmith. But now a curious discovery has been made during some excavations in the former yard of the inn, this being a large stone about a yard square, on the face of which is carved the figure of a large circle such as is usually called a Catherine Wheel. It is an emblem, of course, of the wheel to which the martyr was attached, but history states that she was not burnt on it, as generally supposed, but beheaded. There is no solution for the existence of this remarkable stone, which may have formed part of the architecture of the house in former days, before the date when the iron wheel sign was obtained. The stone is a very unusual piece of work.
Mr. Turner has made a remarkably neat job of renovations to the old house, which he intends to use for its most appropriate purpose, that of an antiques business, for which he is well qualified. The work has been cleverly carried out by Mr. Terrance Wright (Messrs. Pratt, builders). This timber-framed building is decidedly early fifteenth century, and can claim to be amongst the oldest in the town, although there are still not a few half-timbered structures that can make a similar claim. So old is Uxbridge, and still so little damaged by modern changes. The old Catherine Wheel Inn was of considerable importance in its day, and was well equipped for its purpose as a hostelry for man and beast. The inn yard would have stabling, and there was a large kitchen, now removed, and a roomy sunken cellar, which is now available for a showroom. The present laundry office next door was the former bar-parlour, known of old as The House of Lords, where local tradesmen held forth in wordy debate. The angularities of the architecture can be best appreciated in the upper chambers, that seem to indicate that the buildings were not planned, but simply grew in stages. But the rooms are now being made to look bright and pleasant with the many elegant articles that the proprietor displays, at a remarkably moderate price.
Middlesex Advertiser & Gazette, 9 August, 1940
 
The closing of an old Uxbridge inn was recorded in this newspaper 40 years ago. The 17 th century Catherine Wheel, Cross Street, ceased to be an inn and was converted into business premises, aptly enough for a dealer of antiques. (Turners). Originally it was a low ceiling rambling building with a skittle alley at the rear (used for inquests), its bar parlour being a favourite resort of tradesmen to discuss local matters. It became known as the House of Lords. Dick Turpin is said to have stayed there as a convenient venue between Hounslow Heath and Gerrards Cross Common. An Uxbridge character, Charlie Redmond, made the inn his headquarters. On being treated to a glass of gin he ate the glass. Another characteristic of his was to entertain guests by eating rats and mice.
March of Time section of the Middlesex Gazette, 11 March, 1966
 

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