County Durham and Darlington, known for their mix of brilliant pubs and bars, have sadly seen the demise of several beloved venues of the past.
Here, we delve into the history of nine fan-favourite venues that are no longer with us.
The 12 lost pubs and bars of Darlington and County Durham:
Hogans
Renowned as a local landmark, Hogans on Victoria Road, Darlington, once the Park Hotel, was built as a temperance hotel around the time the nearby Bank Top train station was built.
"Hogans is the best thing that's ever happened to older folk around here," one former customer told The Northern Echo before its closure.
The establishment later fell into the hands of the Hartlepool-based Cameron's Brewery.
However, many were heartbroken when Bondgate Tavern in Darlington closed its doors in September 2022.
The landlords said: "It's with great sadness that we have decided to close Bondgate Tavern.
"With the rise in running costs and the decline in footfall and with Darlington Council doing a lot in the middle of the town centre we cannot keep going the way we are."
The King's Head
The King’s Head was a gem in Barnard Castle, even featuring in a Dickens’ novel as the author famously stayed at the pub in February 1838.
Today it has been repurposed into a care home.
The Waterloo Hotel
The Waterloo Hotel in Durham, located on the historic 61 Old Elvet street, was sadly demolished to make way for the Durham through-road scheme.
A bygone patron reminisced, "Durham’s best sixties pub.
"As a regular customer, I had many great nights there and made many friends."
Some of the other venues we miss from years gone by:
Route 66 was a beacon for many in Darlington; a late-night licensed bar with a renowned dancefloor.
Darlington's Plastered Parrot on Commercial Street had to face the wrecking ball in 2021 after it fell victim to a fire in 2020.
Monaco in Bishop Auckland, known for its black ceilings and carpets, shut its doors around 2016.
Darlington's Royal Oak, since demolished after its closure in 2008, was used for fire brigade exercises in 2010.
The Nag’s Head, claimed to be the oldest pub in the town based on a picture from 1970, has now been rebranded as the Joseph Pease.
The Raby Hotel, turned into the Pied Piper in 1985, was eventually bulldozed in 1988.
The Old Coaching Inn on Houndgate was renamed as The Olde Tavern in the Towne in 1974.
The Alexandre Hotel, a popular spot in the Rise Carr area in 1972, showcased its landlord's whippets to patrons.
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Finally, The Coachman Hotel, an imposing late Victorian railway hotel at the top of Victoria Road, closed in 2005.
Built to complement the opening of the station in 1887, it still evokes nostalgia among Darlington's locals.
The reminiscence of these venues brings back a wealth of nostalgia, emphasising the important role they played in their local communities.
They will be dearly missed, but if there's any you think should be on the list - let us know in the comments.
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