Building record MDR13935 - Wagon & Horses Public House, No. 149 Ashbourne Road, Derby

A pub established by 1833 and named from its use as a dispatching point for fly wagons (goods-carrying horse-drawn road vehicles) to points north-west along Ashbourne Turnpike, the tollgate for which was nearby. The murder of PC Moss here by Gerald Mainwaring of Whitmore Hall, Staffs. 15th July 1879 led to the landlord selling up, local vintners & tied- house proprietors Fountains, of Market Place buying it. Rebuilt in 1882 to designs by James Wright or Evans & Wright of Derby and brewing continued on premises until 1956. Damaged by fire June 2004 and rebuilt. Two storey, red brick, four bays with dressed stone window surrounds, and a slate covered roof. On the ground floor left there is a timber coach entrance to the rear yard, modern casement windows with central stone mullion, recessed arch entrance door with stone steps, slightly set forward to receive blocking course from canted bay window with modern windows. Semi-circular headed timber door to the rear yard on the right. On the first floor, stone shouldered arch windows with stone architraves and moulded stone eaves course. Literature: Craven, M., The illustrated History of Derby’s Pubs (Derby 2002) 156; murder, Derby Mercury 16/7/1879, sale ibid., 14/12/1881; re-opens after fire: Derby Evening Telegraph 26/11/2005. (1)