The Two Brewers is situated on Park Street (Previously Moor Street, Cut Horse Street and Pound Street) on land that was in 1129AD known as the Kings Garden, which was later cultivated as a vineyard. Park Street, probably the oldest of all streets in Windsor originally ran into the Great Park (over the long walk to Staines via Frogmore) and eventually to London.
A map of Windsor during the 1860’s shows that there were several houses on Park Street, including one on the site of the Two Brewers.
Prior to the Two Brewers existence, Park Street boasted two Coaching Inn’s which were The Kings Arms (later to become The New Inn which was demolished in the 1930’s now a modern office block behind the post boxes and well). The second Inn on Park Street was the Black Horse, which originally covered part of the present site of the Two Brewers. The earliest reference to the Black Horse is found in 1709 standing on the footprint of 32-33 Park Street, the property of Aubrey Beauclerk, the 5th Duke of St Albans.
As an annex to the Black Horse Inn bought in 1761 John Drummond – MP, whose father founded Drummonds Bank in 1717. By 1792 this annex of the Black Horse had become the Two Brewers, with its first tenant, Cornelius Berry.
By now the Two Brewers belonged to the Windsor Brewery, which was owned by John and Richard Ramsbottom. It is likely that the name Two Brewers takes its name from the Ramsbottoms (Uncle & Nephew).
Above Illustration by Dan Hillier
“The Two Brewers and the Black Horse Inn existed side by side until the second half of the 19th Century.”
In September 1869 it was reported in the local press that the Black Horse Inn had been run in ‘THE MOST DISGRACEFUL MANNER‘. It was frequented by prostitutes and the public house was thought to be run as a brothel. The license was revoked and the Black Horse closed down for good, ending 160 years of a public house on that site.
As a coaching inn (Park Street was part of the main road to London) the horses were stabled opposite in Black House Yard (now luxury houses) until the arrival of Brunnels Great Western Railway when Park Street Became a cul-de-sac and provided an entrance to The Long Walk and the formal enhancement of Cambridge Gate.
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