The George and Dragon
Although the present building is not the oldest of Newton’s beer houses, it is on the site of an old pub with the same name shown in this photo thought to be taken about 1880, and which was in the centre of the original hamlet. It is thought to originally have been known as the Sign of the Trooper prior to 1826, and the story behind that may be seen at the link here. It is speculation as why it was renamed the George and Dragon..King George IV reigned from 1820, but also the landlord at the time is believed to have George Adlington; ( whether his wife was of a fiery disposition is not known!)
Why the George and Dragon is still today known by its nickname “The Trust” is explained in this piece.
The reason behind the new building in the 1890s is said to be linked to the new railway line driven through the village; was it expected that a station would be built in Newton rather than Tibshelf, and so a Station Hotel was required? The ownership of the old pub is not known, nor who decided to rebuild. Either way it was built at a time when the village was expanding rapidly with increased demand for ale!
The opening of the Coronation Palace in 1911 in Hall Lane, brought business to the pub which was able to accommodate the travelling music hall artists. The Palace was later to become The Metro Cinema, and that story can be seen here.
Eventually the pub was to become a Mansfield Brewery house, and it would be good to know if it was privately owned before that; also to record the names of the past tenants if we can find them. What is known is that the George and Dragon / Sign of the Trooper/ Trust has been a popular watering hole for about 200 years, and remains so today. The photos here show some of it’s celebrated activities of the last 100 years.
The New Inn