Feathers Inn"

Feathers Inn, Brook Street, Buckley

1968

see 7.2 for more information on the connection of Eric Hayes' family to the Feathers Inn

THE FEATHERS INN & BROOK STREET

The Feathers Inn in Brook Street, featured on page 69 of the Buckley Photographic Archive book, had been in my family for over 100 years before it was demolished to make way for the Prince of Wales flats following the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales. I'm not sure when my Grandma (Dad's mother) was born, but it is highly likely that she was born at The Feathers. My Grandma's parents were William and Anne Beavan, both were born in 1846 and William held the licence from 1885. (It was an ale house, no wines or spirits). The Beavans had a large family of 8 daughters and 4 sons. Two of their sons and one grandson followed their fathers and became publicans. Grandma was one of the oldest children, although I have no idea as to where the sons fitted into the age scale. My Grandma, nee Catherine Beavan (Kate) married a widower John Hayes (my Grandfather) and they had a daughter, Mollie and my Dad, Joshua, born 1889. My Great Grandfather (also Joshua) was the owner of the Horse & Jockey in Church Road (also mentioned p.65 in the book but not the building illustrated on p.66). Grandad JOHN died in 1890 leaving Grandma a widow with two children and she re-married to William Peters. They had 3 more children and Grandma died in 1926.

As mentioned in the Buckley Book, my great aunt Annie became licensee on the death of her father and served beer there until the late 1950's when she and her sister Louie (both unmarried) retired and the licence was passed to retired Police Sgt. Harry Ll. Davies, formerly of Buckley. There were no beer pumps at The Feathers. All beer was carried up from the cellar to the bar in jugs then decanted into glasses. The big first-floor room shown in the photos in the book with the name of the Inn on each side was known as "The Club Room" and The Feathers was almost the head-quarters for Buckley Cricket Club whose ground was behind the Inn and mid-match teas for all the players were served in the Club Room.

The Feathers also became h.q. for the younger Beavan daughters - 4 daughters and 1 son-in-law lived there and a fifth daughter in the adjoining cottage until the licence was surrendered.

During the late 1950's there was an horrific fire at a house in Brook Street which claimed the lives of several of the family which lived there. The house formed the corner of an L-shaped terrace of houses, some fronting on to Brook Street and another three or four in an entry. The burnt house had once been the Prince of Wales public house, then later the home of Brook Street Workingmen's' Club until they built themselves new premises (since enlarged two or three times) on the site of the present Club. This site was an open area we called "The Croft". It was the local lads' football pitch and often had visiting roundabouts and funfairs there. One visitor I can vividly remember was a big marquee with realistic models of a coal-mine with headgear, moving cages and coal trains.

Old Buckley had several long rows of small cottages, all badly in need of attention - Aberdovey Terrace, Hewitt's Lane, Bucket Row, Lodginghouse Lane, Mount Pleasant, Garden Side, Stanley Road, The Arch and Twenty Row, Burntwood and Brook Street to name a few. Some had been dealt with pre-war, but the fire hurried matters on for Brook Street and demolition orders were made. The people disturbed were offered Council accommodation in newly built Alyn Road, Western Park. Many were reluctant to move from one end of Buckley to the other, but were promised priority to move back when Brook Street was re-developed. It was some ten or more years before the Prince of Wales flats were built and I don't know how many, if any, took advantage of that long forgotten promise.

Unfortunately, The Feathers, although in reasonable structural condition, had to go when the whole corner between Bistre Methodist Chapel, Brook Street and the Pied Bull Inn (now Shamrock) came down and another chunk of old Buckley hit the dust!

Author: Hayes, John Eric, 1918 - 2010

Feathers Inn"

Feathers Inn, Brook Street, Buckley

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