The shanty “Coming Back Home” refers to a few pubs in Teignmouth, some of which still remain but most of which have now long disappeared. These are:
The Bird in Hand was on Lower Brook Street, damaged during WW2 and now part of Waitrose Car Park (Picture source: Clive Schneidau)
The Newfoundland Fishery, one of Teignmouth’s oldest pubs, was so named due to the connection with cod fishing in the North Atlantic from the Mid-16th It was later renamed the New Quay Inn.
The Ferry Boat Inn was named after the crossing nearby and is probably the oldest pub in Teignmouth, established around the early 16th We know it today as The Jolly Sailor.
The Quay Inn was situated on Old Quay Street and demolished in the 1980s to allow for the expansion of the dockyard. Also known as the Old Quay, it was owned by Plymouth Breweries and also sold groceries to crews of ships in the docks.
The Horse and Groom, more ‘recently’ called the White Horse was destroyed in an air raid in 1943. Pellew Arcade is now built on the site in Teign Street.
The Beehive was situated on Bitton Street behind the quay it opened in the early 19th century but closed just after WW2.
The Pilot, or The Ship as we know it today, is another River Beach Pub with fascinating history. There is a commemorative plaque on the wall to acknowledge fourteen Teignmouth men who fought in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Want to know more? Check out:
Pingback: Coming Back Home | Teignmouth in Verse