For centuries Nottingham people have enjoyed getting out of the town and walking up to Mapperley for the views, and of course some liquid refreshment. In the mid 19th century, there was a small beer house in Mapperley that had an unusual name, Coltsfoot Beer House.
Up until the middle of the 19th century, people would leave the grime and congestion of the town via Goosewong Lane onto Mapperley Hills. Goosewong Lane would later become the lower section of Woodborough Road. Just after the top of Private Road on the left was The Coltsfoot beer house, known for the magnificent views to the west, and its homemade ginger beer.
Coltsfoot seems a curious name for a little beer house to be named, however further investigation reveals the name comes from an herbaceous wildflower that thrives in damp clay conditions in full sunshine. Mapperley’s hills must have been full of the plant. which was regarded as a cure all in English folk-law. Beer and wine was also made from the wild plant which has many different names, and cures just has many ailments, the main one being chesty coughs hence the alternative name of Coughwort.
The Coltsfoot beer house was owned and operated by the Howarth family for many years. One of the Howarth family was the first licensee of the Duke of Cambridge that was built around 1870. The Duke of Cambridge was one of the titles of Prince George, the grandson of King George III and cousin of Queen Victoria. The Duke was an army officer by profession and served as Commander-in-Chief of the Forces (military head of the British Army) from 1856 to 1895.
With the larger and purpose-built Duke of Cambridge taking the trade, the little beer house closed and fell into disrepair, finally being swallowed up by the Top Brickyard sometime before 1900. Ironically the Duke of Cambridge was built on one of the earlier smaller brickyards along Mapperley Common.
This shows where the Coltsfoot Beer House was situated in relation to the map from a later period.
What is Coltsfoot?
Coltsfoot takes its name from the leaves that resemble a colt’s foot. The flowers are similar to dandelions.
Dried Coltsfoot was often mixed with tobacco to make it go further, meaning smokers would also think it would help ease their ‘smokers cough’ too.
Before you head to the Mapperley hills with a spade in search of this magical plant, a word of caution.
Laboratory tests discovered it contains the toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids which can damage the liver.
With thanks to Jeff Sheard, the author of Clay Stealers To St Pancras Station : A History of Nottingham’s Brick Makers