THE OLD WINDMILL, COVENTRY. STILL THE PRIDE OF SPON STREET ?

August 2026. Coventry.

See how many times I nick Nick’s map of the Official Proper Day Out in Cov.

I didn’t really need to think about a half dozen Coventry pubs* for our half dozen Pub Men.

Town Wall Tavern (temporarily closed), Gatehouse Tavern, Broomfield Tavern, Nursery Tavern (there’s a theme here), Old Windmill and a central Spoons. Oh, and a brewery tap and a micro for folk who like “that sort of thing“.

But the Old Windmill, named after a Mick Channon goal celebration according to Quinno, is the tourist pub on half-timbered Spon Street,

if such a thing exists in Cov.

It’s very old, and you know how particular I am about giving you dates and stuff. I reckon it’s older than me.

Prop Up the Bar has the good photos of this rambling old multi-room place with a touch of Cambridge’s Eagle about it except for the prices and a mainly local gentlefolk lunch trade.

and a rather more jolly atmposphere.

Will the Sheffield Hatter treated us to his version of American Pie, better than the Madonna version.

I took the seat by the cat, as cat pics sell blogs just like walls full of beer mats sell pints.

The soundtrack was Hosier, at least that’s what I wrote down.

The beer was Bass, and again it was holding up well enough in the heat (GOOD).

Unlike us a couple of hours later.

*Thanks to Life After Football we were to get the deep cuts as well.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

13 thoughts on “THE OLD WINDMILL, COVENTRY. STILL THE PRIDE OF SPON STREET ?”

  1. Originally, as you go in, that room on the left was a separate, unheated room, always the last to fill up, and no hatch to the bar, as it wasn’t there.

    It was in the little ‘donkey box’ mini space immediately back on yourselves. on your right, an unbelievably small bar.. That main lounge area could only be accessed from that end, there was a solid wall there, and the stone flagged floor bit you walked down, and stand on to get served at the new bar on the left, was sorta outside !!

    The oldest room at the front is pretty much exactly as it was when I first went in, in 1983.

    Its also where I had my first date with Mrs Rich, in April 1991 !!

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      1. In the 8 years before I went for that 1st date, I studied for 3 years, got a job, got engaged, bought a house, got married, got divorced and got made redundant…..

        Yes, the lady I was on the date with was my immediate boss, who made me, along with all 11 of my workmates, all made redundant!!

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    2. RR, With a friend in Coventry we used the Old Windmill a couple of times during 1981, Manns Bitter then, but the Town Wall Tavern, M&B, several times.

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      1. Yes, it was a Manns house, but we stuck to the Guinness.

        As a Yorkshireman newly ‘darn sarf’, I was initially heartened to see Tetleys on in a few pubs, till I drunk it and found it was that horrible stuff brewed in Warrington, I think !!

        Plus, the 10.30 last orders Mon-Thurs were a surprise to this Wakefield lad, where even then it was 11pm Mon-Sat

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  2. Ah! This is the place my friend told me of when we visited the Coventry Music Museum 2 weeks ago. I had no idea of it now I am hearing of it twice in a month. Must be a sign to go.

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      2. Yes LAF, £5.50 for Bass which was £1.80 more than I was soon to pay in the Hearsall Inn.
        But the Old Windmill’s a special pub and soon after you all left for a club famous cat Murphy came and set next to me, maybe mistaken for the other Mudgie !
        facebook.com/watch/?v=1082101027129111
        bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g3wwdd0w4o

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