In 2005 I took my new camera out for a walk around Newton Abbot – and took pictures of pubs!

But for some reason only 10 of the 22 pubs in town at the time. I think I may have stopped at two or three for a beer…

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These photographs were taken in July 2005 on an old Panasonic bridge camera. The original resolution was 1840 x 1232 but are shown here at 1200px wide and 80% of the original quality. Contact me for originals.

The story behind the photos…

This is a small sample of the 22 pubs in the town at the time. Actually, one of them is not a pub in the strict sense: Ye Olde Cider Bar does not have a beer or spirits licence, but sells great local ciders and wines! Some of them have changed little but some have changed beyond recognition. The Greene Man became the Teign Cellars but eventually faded away and is closed. It was originally the Devon Arms and, being right opposite the (old) hospital, popular with nurses in the 1970s and 1980s. I would like to know what happened to the old pub sign, which was the Devon County coat of arms – Auxilio Divino.

The pub that appears to be ‘SHIP’ in the photos was actually ‘Ships’, but someone nicked the second ‘S’. This incarnation was also thankfully short-lived. It was always The Ship Inn and was worth a visit as part of a pub crawl. It is now unrecognisable, having completely changed the frontage and is now Twelve Twenty, named for the approximate date of the famous Clock Tower just outside.

The others have not changed too much. I considered The Union to be my local for about 20 years, but went into steep decline after about 2017 and is – in July 2024 – closed and looking for a manager.. The best pub of those pictured here was the Wolborough, but that too has gone into decline.

The Golden Lion has not changed a great deal and is still a good place to visit now in 2024. The ground in front of the Lion was improved immensely by the local authority long after the photo was taken, now being a pleasant paved area to sit and listen to bands in the summer.