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Somerset County Herald and Taunton Courier. Saturday 26 Sep 1959
Page 1 Column 3 and 4
Another Public House To Close in Taunton
THE Shakespeare Inn, East Reach, Taunton, is closing down next Tuesday and will soon be demolished.
The premises have been bought by White Bros., motor agents and dealers, who are to use the site to extend their business. The licensee is Mr. T. MARCHANT.
This is the second licensed house in Taunton to be shut this year. 'The Three Widows,' Fore Street, the site of which is being used to extend the store of Messrs. Clements & Brown, drapers. 'The Three Widows' was owned by the Oakhill Brewery Company, which runs in conjunction with the Charlton Brewery.
The Swan Inn, 63, East Street, Taunton, belongs to the Charlton Brewery.
The Shakespeare had been a licensed house for nearly 150 years, and a large clock on the wall outside has made it a landmark.
It has a skittles alley, where league games have been played.
But trade has declined and as a matter of policy the owners are now concentrating on the houses where trade is good.
A representative of the company told the Somerset County Herald 'We are trying – in other places as well as at Taunton – to close down superfluous houses and retain the ones with a better living for the landlords. It will also be better in the long run for the brewery, because of lower overheads.
'The trade at the Shakespeare has steadily dropped off for a long time, because fewer people now live in that part of the town.
'Moreover, the premises are in a bad state of repair and a great deal of money would have to be spent to bring them into line with the requirements of a modern public house.