The Bull and associated buildings featured in December’s Ruthin Local History Society meeting
This space was once occupied by a tavern called The Bull and a whole complex of other buildings, all demolished in 1862 to make way for a new street called Market Street in preparation to link the heart of Rhuthun/Ruthin to the railway, which arrived two years after.
No one knows what The Bull looked like; there are no known photographs, pictures or engravings of it. From records, transactions and maps, the historic society's Gareth Evans did, however, paint a picture of what it was like.
The first reference to the building itself was in 1484, although it was undoubtedly situate there beforehand. At this time, it was not known as The Bull or, at least, there was no reference to the name. From records, it seems that the building had 16 beds and from that and its contents at the time it can be determined it was a Tudor tavern. Indeed, it may be Rhuthun & district’s first Elizabethan tavern. 15 of the beds were for paying guests who, Evans speculated, would need to climb over each other in order to reach the outside lavatories.
In 1580, it was recorded as having one pain of glass. That this was noted means the glass would have been valuable. Interestingly, there was no reference to any brewing on the premises. At that time, there would have been plenty of that happening on the Square.
It was in 1672 that The Bull was mentioned by name. This was a date when many inns received their names and, for them all, there was no evidence of any name beforehand.
Adjacent to The Bull, on its left, where part of the Midland Bank now stands, was a house with 14 rooms. This was a private dwelling of some worth and it was well furnished. Between the house and The Bull was an arched gateway and passageway and, behind them, outbuildings. Farther down what is now Market Street was adjacent land known as The Bull Croft. At some point after 1672, the owner of the house bought The Bull and falling under one ownership they effectively became one entity till demolition.
It was in 1844 that The Castle bought the buildings and land. It became an array of shops & businesses of various types plus there were changes within the buildings themselves. By this time, the arched gateway had disappeared and the area behind, through the passageway between the two structures, was one of Rhuthun's town yards, described as a lively and densely populated area.
All this was obliterated in 1862 by the Castle owners, the Wests, for access from town to rail station. 150 years later, were the railway to be a new arrival in town today, it is would be impossible to think of such an act of vandalism of what was a Tudor structure. The railway, however, represented something very modern and progressive that demanded a new avenue to its station.
Part of the land was retained as a field and part passed to the White Line (now the Castle Hotel) for rear access. Someone constructed a fine looking house to the rear but this, two, was later demolished. Part of the bank adjacent to the White Lion became the White Lion's dining room and this cemented the White Lion as an even more imposing building & business.
The land and remaining buildings were sold under the Castle estate sale of 1913. In 1923, the London & Midland Bank demolished its building after only 60 years and re-erected the current structure in 1926. Prior to that, part of the croft land was developed as the town and market halls. In 1908, another part was gifted to Denbighshire County Council whereupon it built its education offices that subsequently became its headquarters. It was interesting to note that the town, including the Castle owners themselves, was involved in fund raising to facilitate the offices and this indicates the civic pride associated with the new status as county town of old Denbighshire. There was, of course, some competition between towns for this rôle.
Meanwhile, there was evidence of cock fighting in the White Lion and of bull baiting on the Square. The bull baiting, Evans informed members, was licensed or sanctioned by the church and would have produced a modest income for them. There was, Evans felt, a reasonable assumption that this bull baiting was how The Bull got its name.
This space was once occupied by a tavern called The Bull and a whole complex of other buildings, all demolished in 1862 to make way for a new street called Market Street in preparation to link the heart of Rhuthun/Ruthin to the railway, which arrived two years after.
The first reference to the building itself was in 1484, although it was undoubtedly situate there beforehand. At this time, it was not known as The Bull or, at least, there was no reference to the name. From records, it seems that the building had 16 beds and from that and its contents at the time it can be determined it was a Tudor tavern. Indeed, it may be Rhuthun & district’s first Elizabethan tavern. 15 of the beds were for paying guests who, Evans speculated, would need to climb over each other in order to reach the outside lavatories.
In 1580, it was recorded as having one pain of glass. That this was noted means the glass would have been valuable. Interestingly, there was no reference to any brewing on the premises. At that time, there would have been plenty of that happening on the Square.
It was in 1672 that The Bull was mentioned by name. This was a date when many inns received their names and, for them all, there was no evidence of any name beforehand.
Adjacent to The Bull, on its left, where part of the Midland Bank now stands, was a house with 14 rooms. This was a private dwelling of some worth and it was well furnished. Between the house and The Bull was an arched gateway and passageway and, behind them, outbuildings. Farther down what is now Market Street was adjacent land known as The Bull Croft. At some point after 1672, the owner of the house bought The Bull and falling under one ownership they effectively became one entity till demolition.
It was in 1844 that The Castle bought the buildings and land. It became an array of shops & businesses of various types plus there were changes within the buildings themselves. By this time, the arched gateway had disappeared and the area behind, through the passageway between the two structures, was one of Rhuthun's town yards, described as a lively and densely populated area.
All this was obliterated in 1862 by the Castle owners, the Wests, for access from town to rail station. 150 years later, were the railway to be a new arrival in town today, it is would be impossible to think of such an act of vandalism of what was a Tudor structure. The railway, however, represented something very modern and progressive that demanded a new avenue to its station.
Part of the land was retained as a field and part passed to the White Line (now the Castle Hotel) for rear access. Someone constructed a fine looking house to the rear but this, two, was later demolished. Part of the bank adjacent to the White Lion became the White Lion's dining room and this cemented the White Lion as an even more imposing building & business.
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