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Swatters Carr
was an area of Middlesbrough bounded by Linthorpe Road, Southfield
Road, Woodlands Road and Park Lane North. The name is a
derivation of Swathers Carr, the name of a farm
situated on the corner of Linthorpe Road and Southfield Road, noted on
maps as early as 1618. A 'carr'
is a north European term for a wetland or fen, derived from the Old
Norse kjarr, meaning swamp.
In the 1861 & 1871 census the farm, covering some 42 acres, was owned
and run by xxx White and his family. Following the development of
the area in the late 1870's, the Swatters Carr Hotel was opened in
1878, with
John Barritt being named as the first licensee.
In the 1881 census the licensee was
named as ?? and in the 1891 census the licensee was named as ??.
During the 1880's the hotel was used
to host meetings of the Cleveland Football Association and was also,
reputedly, used as changing rooms for the Boro team, when
they played at the Linthorpe Road Ground.
Around the start of the 20th century the hotel changed
it's name to the Empire Hotel, with xxx Bach being named as licensee in the 1901
census. In the following 1911 census the pub was run by his wife Mary
Bach. It was known as the Empire Hotel through much of the
century, but had a number of name changes in it's later life including The Tavern,
The Hogs Head and The House
before reverting back to The Swatters Carr in 2011, following a major
refurbishment by JD Wetherspoon.
The suggestion for the name was given to JD Wetherspoon by this website,
long before the pub re-opened, but was rejected in favour of The Ironopolis. However, after several complaints from the Ironopolis Social
Club and local councillors the name was dropped and The Swatters Carr
was reborn. The pub has
memorabilia and displays relating to Middlesbrough Football Club,
including an old turnstile from Ayresome Park. However, the connection
to Ironopolis and the screen of 'irons' within the pub are somewhat misleading,
as the Ironopolis Football Club never played at the adjacent Linthorpe
Road Ground, but on the Paradise Field further up Linthorpe Road, part of
which, would become Ayresome Park. |
