The Black Country Living Museum is calling out for memories, prior to 1969, of the Elephant & Castle that once stood on the corner of Stafford Street and Cannock Road in Wolverhampton.

The Museum plans to recreate this once-treasured watering hole in a 1940s-60s town centre as part of its ambitious new development project ‘Forging Ahead’.

Built in 1905, the Elephant & Castle was once a grand Edwardian pub, and made quite a magnificent landmark for those coming into Wolverhampton. In 1910 it became part of the Banks’s estate who were rapidly becoming one of the largest breweries in the Midlands. Typical of its era, it had a public bar for the working class and for the middle class it had a separate smoking room with slightly higher prices.

The pub’s clientele was known to be diverse, with Wolverhampton being home to many thousands of Irish immigrants during the 19th century. After World War Two, both the Irish and Commonwealth citizens from India, Pakistan and the Caribbean could be found enjoying a drink in the Elephant & Castle.

Little is currently known about The Elephant & Castle’s licensees in the post-war period. The Museum believe that a Sydney Jones was in charge in the 1940s, and Doris May Davies in the 1960s. 

The pub’s sad decline in later years was capped by its unexpected demolition in 2001 – shortly before it could be considered for listing.

The Museum is especially interested in hearing about any memories prior to 1969. All information is useful and gratefully received. You can get in touch by emailing collections@bclm.com or calling 0121 557 9643.