BIRMINGHAM’S PUBS...AN OCCASIONAL SERIES
FEATURING THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR BEERS

No. 1   THE SHAKESPEARE INN, 31 Summer Row (junction with Lionel Street)

History

The Shakespeare Inn is the only surviving traditional pub in Summer Row. In the 19th century, there was the Rose and Crown and the White Swan (later to become one of Birmingham’s first Wine Bars, Willies in 1974). The site of the Shakespeare, on the corner of Lionel Street was home to a coopery or barrel maker when most of this area was then part of the Colmore estate.  It first appears in a Birmingham Street Directory in 1864 as a beer house, managed by Henry Burton. However, it wasn’t known as the Shakespeare until 1888. At that time there were 5 other similarly named other pubs in the area. In the early 1890s it came under the ownership of Henry Mitchell (before he joined forces with William Butler) who was brewing his ales down the road at Cape Hill. Plans for the pub to be rebuilt were drawn up in 1894 by the prolific pub architects, James and Lister Lea, most notably responsible for the Barton‘s Arms. The rebuild plans still survive, in the Archives department of the Birmingham Central Library.  Four years later, the Shakespeare became a Mitchells and Butlers pub and no fewer than 30 managers have presided there since.  The latest, Helen O‘Neil has been there since 1994. The current building still survives pretty well intact having survived an extensive but sympathetic refurbishment in 2003. Look out for a superb engraved M & B mirror, now proudly hung over the staircase at the rear of the pub. The hatch to the back snug has still survived and there is a pleasant beer garden.

Photo - c.1920, taken from the Mitchells & Butlers archive. 

Beers

At the moment there are two real ale pumps, but there are plans to include a third. The staple beer of Brew XI is supplemented by a changing range including Fullers London Pride, Wadworths 6X and Bateman’s Rosey Nosey. In April 2004, corresponding with St. George’s Day, there was a highly successful mini beer festival with a theme on William Shakespeare, as it is widely believed the Bard was born on St. George‘s Day. The beers Kingmaker (5.5%) and Falstaff (4.4%) went down a treat as supplied by Leamington Spa-based Warwickshire Beer Company Ltd. It is planned to do a similar event this April... well worth a visit.

Article by Andrew Maxam, author of “Time Please! A Look Back at Birmingham’s Pubs,” which contains 380 pictures of old Birmingham’s pubs with informative captions, based upon the Mitchells and Butlers archive. For more details, ring 0121-429 6369 or email info@maxamcards.co.uk

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Last modified: 03/11/07