Fore Street
What Three Words: ///hushed.
At the top of Fore Street, the most prominent site in town, is the King’s Arms, possibly the longest established pub and hotel in Lostwithiel. It was built by the Taprell family as an integral part of their Tudor farmhouse conversion. What is now known as Taprell House had been rebuilt as a large mansion with its own malthouse and brewery. It was run by William Taprell in 1672 under the sign of the King’s Head, but the name was changed to the King’s Arms in 1756. The mansion was acquired by Lord Edgcumbe, who rebuilt the frontage as what is now Edgcumbe House, and the inn was leased to various local worthies: Richard Forster, a local tanner, Nevel Norway, and Francis Lavis or Leaves.
Through this time, the King’s Arms was the principal venue for civic events and for legal business. For example, in 1788 it hosted the Great Prideaux Manorial Court and tenants’ dinner, the tenants consuming 89lb of beef, 9 quarts (18 pints) of brandy, 1 quart of rum, and 1 quart of gin.
The name King’s Head was adopted by many inns in the 16th century to indicate allegiance to Henry VIII, after his split from the Catholic Church over its refusal to grant him a divorce. The change of name to the King’s Arms may have been intended to indicate a connection to the state – perhaps the granting of a Royal license or warrant - at a time when the 2nd Baron Edgcumbe was a senior political figure in the Whig administration.
Following the great success of his Talbot Hotel, Lord Edgcumbe sold the King’s Arms to George Reed, the tenant, in 1837. The Reeds sold the business on to Thomas Adams, but the continuing loss of business to the Talbot led to a series of ownership changes. Some stability in ownership was achieved by John West, who held it from the 1850s until 1882. Another period of shifting ownership was followed by greater stability under Thomas Eyles Pearce and then Frank Watts, both of whom added their names to the hotel’s name on the front of the building – a common practice in the 19th century. The space where these names were included is still visible in the uneven spacing of the wording on the front wall of the King’s Arms. Adjoining the hotel and fronting onto the main road was a yard, coach house, and stables with a large ballroom above. Though still existing today, these parts of the hotel are not currently in use. A cooperage, now demolished, stood on the corner of North Street.
Pearce's Kings Arms Hotel
Watts's King's Arms Hotel
In 1922 the inn was bought by Walter Hicks and Co (the St Austell Brewery). The company was at that time run by the daughter of the founder, under the management of Alfred Aston, and was rapidly acquiring a large chain of tenanted pubs. A long-term tenant publican at the King’s Arms was Percy Livermore Chilwell, who was behind the bar from 1919 to 1936. He was succeeded by Thomas Jewson.
The King’s Arms remained a St Austell tied house until 2023 when it was put up for sale. After a period of shifting management it was bought in 2024 by Scott and Shelley Whitsey, who have enthusiastically renovated the pub, internally and externally, reestablishing it as a venue for live music, poker and cribbage, and open-mike evenings. There are five comfortable rooms for accommodation.
Turn into Fore Street to