Pub History
Welcome to the SOLWAY Branch of CAMRA History Page
On this page it is intended to provide a number of articles on the history of pubs and related items. Our branch area extends from the Scottish border in the north, east to the Cumbria/Northumberland border near Nenthead, down to Penrith, along the A66 to Mungrisedale, before going north through the northern fells to Ireby and out to the Solway coast at Silloth.
Carlisle and the surrounding area was well known for having most of its pubs and its brewery run by the Government and not the pub companies or individual pub owners. This situation existed from 1916 until 1973. It is now over 40 years since the pubs were sold off and I hope to provide here a series of articles and other information on the sell off and what has happened to some of the pubs involved since that may be of interest
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A series of constantly changing exhibits is to be found in pubs still open that were taken over at the start of the State Management Scheme in 1916 The first of those opened in the Sportsman, Carlisle with others to open shortly in the Boardman, the Kings Head, and the Howard Arms. More information is to be found on the The State Management Story site
Introduction 40 years on from State Management Scheme in Carlisle
SMS Handover - Groups and Prices paid (7.13)
Carlisle State Handover Part 2
Carlisle State Handover Part 3
Carlisle State Handover Part 4 brewery et.
Other items on pub history
I have uploaded a large number of pictures of pubs and other information. This includes old and new photographs, lists of licensees, copies of each census page and pictures of newspaper cuttings in which each pub is mentioned, maps and directories. If anyone is interested in finding out more information on any pub in Cumbria click on this link Dennis Irwins Collection of Pub Information. This takes you to Dennis Irwin's collection. This gives a whole collection of albums which can be searched for the pub you are looking for. These are in alphabetical order for Carlisle pubs or search by first digits of postcodes for others. These are still incomplete but being downloaded as soon as they are scanned.
Solway Pub Directory (Excl Carlisle) ver 1
Old Cumberland Pub Directory at September 2023
Pubs that built Carlisle - Howard Arms
Pubs that built Carlisle - The Sportsman
The following are a bibliography and other links relating to the History of Pubs in the Carlisle area
Boak, Jessica and Ray Bailey. 20th Century Pub: From Beer House to Booze Bunker, Homewood Press, 2017. Has a good survey of the Carlisle scheme in Chapter 2.
Cole, Emily. The Urban and Suburban Public House in Inter-War England, 1918-1939, Historic England, 2015.
Hunt, John. A City Under The Influence, Lakescene 1971. Brief and entertaining account of the scheme from a local journalist.
Mellows, Phil. The Carlisle Experiment, https://philmellows.wordpress.com/2016/07/28/the-carlisle-experiment/ Quick summary of the scheme.
Mellows, Phil. The extraordinary story of nationalised pubs during the First World War, https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2016/07/25/The-extraordinary-story-of-nationalised-pubs-during-the-First-World-War Account of the scheme on its 100th anniversary.
Mellows, Phil. Nationalize The Pubs, https://jacobin.com/2017/10/pubs-drinking-nationalization-state-ownership
Seabury, Olive. The Carlisle State Management Scheme, Bookcase, 2007. Kennedy, Dermot article in Pub Gallery https://pubgallery.co.uk/2023/02/09/harry-redferns-carlisle-legacy-the-model-pubs-of-the-state-management-scheme/
More to come