Before renovation – ‘The original sign was a large carved wooden bull, big enough for a man to sit astride.’ Note the “C&S XL Ales” brewery sign. Photo provided by Red Rose Collections.
Standing at the junction of Blackpool Old Road and Market Place, the Bull Hotel has been part of Poulton-le-Fylde’s streetscape for well over a century. Although the present building dates from the 1960s, the site’s association with licensed hospitality stretches back to the nineteenth century, when it was known as the Black Bull Inn. The inn became an important meeting place for local residents, travellers and businesses, while its prominent location at one of the main approaches to the town ensured it was a familiar landmark for generations. The original Black Bull Inn stood on what was then known as Bull Street, a name derived directly from the public house itself. As Poulton expanded during the Victorian era, the street formed one of the principal routes leading towards Blackpool. During the twentieth century it was renamed Blackpool Old Road, but the inn continued to preserve the memory of the former street name.
By the late nineteenth century, the Bull Hotel had become one of Poulton’s best-known licensed premises. In 1893, Thomas Hardman, formerly licensee of the Thatched House Tavern, took over the Bull, marking a notable change in the management of two of the town’s principal inns. During this period the hotel regularly advertised accommodation, refreshments and facilities for travellers, reflecting Poulton’s continuing importance as the commercial centre of the Fylde. The Bull also played an important role in the civic life of the town. Before the construction of a dedicated Masonic Hall in 1900, the Poulton Freemasons held their meetings at the Bull. Like many substantial inns of the Victorian period, it provided rooms suitable for societies, dinners and public meetings, making it far more than simply a place to eat and drink.
The original nineteenth-century building survived until the early 1960s, when it was demolished and replaced by the present Bull Hotel. The new building, completed in 1963, reflected changing architectural tastes and the growing demand for larger, more modern licensed premises. Although the Victorian inn disappeared, the replacement retained the historic name and continued the site’s long tradition of hospitality. Throughout the twentieth century the Bull remained a popular destination for local residents and visitors alike. Its position overlooking the Market Place made it one of Poulton’s best-known meeting places, while photographs from the 1950s and 1960s capture the hotel as an integral part of the historic town centre. One particularly well-known image from around 1960 shows the original Bull Hotel shortly before its demolition, complete with its distinctive carved wooden bull sign, which was said to be large enough for a man to sit astride.
Today, the Bull continues to occupy one of the most prominent sites in Poulton-le-Fylde. While the present building is a product of the 1960s, it stands on the site of an inn that served the town throughout the Victorian era and gave its name to one of Poulton’s principal streets. Its long history reflects the changing fortunes of the market town, from a coaching stop and commercial centre to the thriving community that exists today.
Images by © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd
