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Home > Middlesex >
Uxbridge > Catherine Wheel
Catherine Wheel
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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. |
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Source: Tony Mitchell |
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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. |
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Middlesex Advertiser & Gazette, 9 August, 1940 |
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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. |
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March of Time section of the Middlesex Gazette,
11 March, 1966 |
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