The New Inn on Cross Street gave up its licence many years ago. But the building (20 Wilne Road) still has the bracket for the pub sign.
The first mention we’ve found of the New Inn was in the 1870s, when the landlord was James Allen (1816-1897) who grew up at Trent Lock, where his father was a publican. By 1851 James was running the Erewash Navigation for the Grand Junction Canal Company. And for a couple of years in the mid-1850s James was the licensee at the White Lion.
By 1861 James Allen was a publican living on the corner of Cross Street and Back Street. According to the census, this was the Railway Inn, but other evidence suggests it was the New Inn. It’s possible the pub names were confused when the census was written up from the enumerator’s notes. On the 1871 census he was at the same place, but it wasn’t named. By 1876 it was definitely the New Inn.
For many years James Allen attempted to get a full licence, rather than just being a beer house. As well as the accommodation he had stabling for 3 horses. The magistrates refused him a full licence after the police objected.
James Allen was in charge of the Harrington Arms for a while around 1890 but by 1891 he was back at the New Inn and stayed until Richard Allen took over in 1895.
In 1897, rather than apply for a full licence, Richard applied for just a wine licence, explaining that beer-house was much used by footballers and cyclists and several clubs had their headquarters there. The application was backed by the secretary of the Sawley Football Club but was refused again.
From the early 1900s to the mid-1920s the tenant of the New Inn was Samuel Stephenson. From the late 1920s to 1949 it was Samuel and Blanche Martin. From 1949 to the mid-1950s it was Alfred Bishop. Followed in the late 1950s by Bert Cook and then (from 1957) Frederick Saunders.
In 1958 Frederick Saunders at last achieved permission to sell wine as well as beer.
From around 1960 it was re-named the Sawley Arms, to avoid confusion with New Inn, Long Eaton (opposite the old Post Office). Around this time Jack and Ivy Brookes (who later ran the Harrington Arms in Long Eaton) had their first tenancy.
The last landlord was J A Rolls. By 1964 trade had dropped off and renewal of the licence (still only beer and wine) was refused, at which point the New Inn ceased trading.
