Home > Hertfordshire > Waltham Cross > The Castle The Castle
Date of photo: 1979	Picture source: M.Wraight
The Castle was situated on the High Street.
Source: Karen Griggs
The Castle was situated on the west side of the high street about 10/15 yards south of park lane. Many many years ago it used to be called The Bird Cage. Back in the 1970's it was squeezed in between Rumbelows and The Pantry, both of which have vanished along with the Castle. Outside stood an old granite Horse trough. Throughout the 70's the Landlord was Walter Chamberlain (Wally) who along with his wife Betty also ran the Falcon inn situated on the corner of Eleanor Cross Road and the High St. The Castle had unusual deeply mottled windows and sliding Iron concertina shutters that pulled across the front entrance. The front was covered in shiny brown mottled tiles. There was also an entrance at the back from the small car park. Entering the pub from the front the bar swung across at a right angle from the left and turned off down the whole left hand side to the back of the pub. Over on the right hand side there were rows of seats each with a table in between rather like cubicles. On a Friday night the pub was always tightly packed and Saturday lunch time you literally had to squeeze your arm in through the crowded bar to get served. The pub had a dart board and a solitary pinball machine although I don't remember any Juke Box being present. I think the music was piped from behind the bar. The Decor inside at that period was red and gold flocked wallpaper. In its time the Castle was one of the most popular pubs in Waltham Cross and its demise in the name of "Progress" was a criminal act. The pub was a classic one off. If it were there today instead of the Charity shops and part time council shop that have taken its place...it would be packed every day. Alas, the building and its atmosphere are dust. I am very suprised that photo's of this pub are virtually non existent.
Michael Wraighte (May 2014)
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