Nag’s Head

The present day Buckwell Street (known as Higher Broad Street in the early nineteenth century) is a little off the line of the original, pre-war Buckwell Street and indeed most of what is known by that name today is the old pre-war High Street. This part of the old street line is still visible today though, it is the short cobbled section that runs from the top of How Street across to the top of Looe Street (back then to bottom end of Buckwell Street would have been somewhere in the middle of the present bus station). Along this short street were once five or six pubs, including the Devon Inn, the Nag’s Head, the Masonic, the Crown and Sceptre, and the Pack Horse. The Nag’s Head was on the western corner with Looe Street, at the end here, and it would appear that the Masonic was possibly an earlier name for premises.

The name is a fairly popular one even now and there is a suggestion that pubs bearing this name may have had a small riding horse or pony available for hire, just like one would maybe hire a car today – but not necessarily from a pub!

Licensees

1830 - Samuel Knight
1844 - John Dawe
1847 - James Bowden
1852 - Henry Cocker
1857 - William Robbins
1862 - S Ledden
1864 - John Toll
1867 - Stephen Chubb