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Cock Fighting

The Angel Inn, Cockpit

55.412986, -1.708249

Alnwick

Opened:

1727

Closed:

Unknown

Redeveloped

Condition:

Home Teams/Clubs:

Last Updated:

16 Jan 2025

HER Description

Cock fighting was held at the Angel Inn from at least 1727 when Mrs Grey, the widowed innkeeper, held fights at the sign to prelude the horse racing at the racecourse. As it was a coaching inn, it was staged to tap into the trade and provide some early entertainment for racegoers. Prize money, as noted by the Northumberland Archives, was to be two guineas and forty guineas for the main battle.

Cockfights continued to be hosted here through the century as a warmup for meetings on the racecourse. A Mr Cooper Wheeler took on the Angel and hosted cockfights until his death in 1745, and again Joseph Turnbull in the 1770s until his death in 1775. It was shortly after this time in the 1790s when racing ceased at Hobberlaw, and likely the formal cock fighting staging too. It was made illegal in 1835, so there is a reasonable possibility such fights continued into the 19th century.

The Angel Inn itself stood on Fenkle Street, and featured a long narrow yard and a brewery at its rear. I imagine the fights took place within the yard, though they did also occur under the front sign. The coaching inn closed in 1900, some 2 centuries after first opening.

Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey town plan, 1866

'Sketches of The Coal Mines in Northumberland and Durham' T.H.Hair, published in 1844

Fenkle Street in the 1900s. The Angel stands on the left of this image directly opposite the library on the right. Unknown original source.

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'Sketches of The Coal Mines in Northumberland and Durham' T.H.Hair, published in 1844

An unknown artists impression of the Angel and Robin Hood on Fenkle Street posted by George Taylor on "Alnwick Memories" Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlnwickMemories

Historic Environment Records

Durham/Northumberland: Keys to the Past

Tyne and Wear: Sitelines

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HER information as described above is reproduced under the basis the resource is free of charge for education use. It is not altered unless there are grammatical errors. 

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