The Eagle Hotel, Boston

Happy New Year! The first post of 2022 sees a return to the wintry streets of Boston.

Among the pubs on my list is the Eagle Hotel. Fully licensed in 1855 (proprietor Thomas Allewhite), this Victorian building stands on the corner of busy West Street and Queen Street. Among the exterior features is a semicircular arch with a keystone to mark the main entrance (echoed in the corner window) with muted pilaster columns on either side and along the ground floor.

On entering the premises, you are greeted by a large rectangular green sign with the pub’s name and ‘Soulby’s Ales’, the Alford based brewery that owned the pub during much of the 20th century written underneath. Below the sign, but long since fallen out of use, is an original off-sales hatch (permitting the sale of alcohol for consumption off-premises). The door on the left leads to the saloon bar from the vestibule, while the right door is for the public bar and games room beyond. Each area is served by a single central server, which retains much of its original form. Unfortunately, Jacqueline, the landlady, was not available, but I managed to briefly chat with Kerry, who has been serving pints at the Eagle for 15 years! Kerry is lovely and tried her best to give me snippets of information about the place. Still, the pub is busy, so after explaining the project, I took a second look around (spotting a lovely Victorian fireplace in the games room) and took my leave.

Historically, the Eagle was the last pub on the west side of the town (influential liberal residents of the Sleaford road area objected to any licence granted over the railway lines a few yards away). In 1866, Thomas Hall, a Spilsby saddler and wine and spirit merchant, was the innkeeper. Mr Hall sold locally brewed Boston beers (the town had 18 different brewers at the time). In 1905, Soulby Son & Winch, who owned a depot in nearby West Street, purchased the pub. Today, the Eagle is part of the Small Beer Pub Company, representing the company’s most easterly outpost.