Friday Photo: Lad in the Lane Public House
Today’s Friday photo is the Lad in the Lane Pub in Bromford Lane, Erdington. Grade II listed in 1982 historians estimated the original frame to date back to the 1400’s. In 2006 dendrochronology testing of timbers confirmed that oldest part of the building did indeed date back to Spring 1400.
The building would have been originally constructed as a house for a high status land owning family, but was thought to have been turned into a pub in the 178O’s. It was original known as “The Green Man” or “Ye Olde Green Man”, and has remained as a pub ever since. Over the years the building has been altered and extensions added, notably so in 16th Century and the 1930’s. However, confirmation of the original build date puts this as the oldest building in Birmingham (with the exception of some medieval churches). Most people assume that the Old Crown in Digbeth, which claims to date from 1368, is the oldest building, but dendrochronology testing has not yet managed to confirm this. Nevertheless, The Old Crown is still the oldest pub in Birmingham, but The Lad in the Lane is the oldest (non-religious) building.
The old tenant of the Lad In The Lane is leaving early January 2019. Rumour has it the pub will close while the owners find a new tenant? Hope this doesn’t mean the obligatory fire what seems to happen to most empty pubs in Birmingham?
Hopefully not as it’s a lovely old pub. The Cross Keys in Erdington has also recently been boarded up so that’s another one now, probably, at risk.