The Avondale

Said to be named in honour of a Scottish Duke who had men working in the yard at some time, the "Avondale Arms" was originally known as the "Sportsman Arms" and appears to be contemporary with Keyham Yard, the gates of which it stands opposite.

Thomas Hewlett is recorded as, probably, its first licensee in 1850 and in almost 150 years of trading from No.1 Keyham Road, the Avondale would appear to be remarkable in having had less than ten licensees in all that time, and just four in the last hundred and more years.

Chiefly responsible for that remarkable statistic is Arthur Squire who has been landlord here since 1950 (the year Starkey Knight and Ford purchased the pub) and is the longest serving licensee, in one pub, in Plymouth today.