Alnwick (Narrowgate) - Half Moon Inn

Name: The Half Moon Inn

Address: 13, Narrowgate, Alnwick

Site of the Half Moon Inn c.2026

The Half Moon Inn on Narrowgate is first mentioned in archives dated as far back as 1671 and operated as a pub for around 200 years, finally closing its doors for business around 1870. The picture above is the building that replaced the inn after it was demolished in the late 1870s.

1864 Town Map Half Moon Inn and Black Swan Inn

As can be seen above, the inn was positioned right on the junction of Narrowgate and Fenkle Street, so some historical records do differ in respect of its address, seen in the directories below.

Listed landlords at the Inn were John Coward (1829-), Joseph Marshall (1841), John Hedley (1850-), John White (-1869) and John Thew (1869-).

1829 Pigot's Directory - John Coward Fenkle Street

1834 Pigot's Directory - John Coward Narrowgate Street

1841 Census Joseph Marshall

Robbery at Alnwick

A short time back £80, in bank notes, gold, and silver, were stolen from the house of Mr. Robert Hedley, Half Moon Inn, Alnwick, and as John Egdell and James Young were suspected, Mr. Thompson, the police superintendent at Alnwick, sent information to Newcastle and Hexham. Egdcll was apprehended by Sub-inspector Drummond when at the Central Railway Station of this town, on Monday, and he had a large sum of money upon him. Young was taken into custody at Hexham the next night ; and Thompson proceeded from Alnwick to the latter place, where he found part of the stolen money hid near the churchyard fence. It was recovered, and Egdell and Young brought before Hugh Moises, Esq. by whom they were remanded till Thursday, when they wero both fully committed to Morpeth Gaol for trial.

Saturday,  Nov. 2, 1850 Newcastle Journal

1851 Census Robert Hedley

1861 Census Robert Hedley

Friday,  Sept. 11, 1863 Newcastle Courant

John Hedley departed the Half Moon sometime in the mid-1860s and there followed a number of new landlords including John White and John Thew, but it's apparent that around 1870 the premises has ceased to be a licenced public house and was being run as a Temperance Hotel.

Saturday,  May 8, 1869 Alnwick Mercury

Saturday,  Oct. 9, 1869 Alnwick Mercury

1871 Census Margaret Percy

Margaret Percy was running the Temperance Bar in 1871 but this appears to have been a relatively short-lived idea, as by 1875 the property was back up for sale by auction.

Saturday,  Nov. 20, 1875 Alnwick Mercury

The below article from the Morpeth Herald gives an insight into the changing fortunes of public houses in the town over the second half of the 19th century.

The Licensed Victuallers in The Publicans Alnwick and district have off Alnwick. recently formed themselves into an association for the better protection as well as promotion of their interests as a trading community. Perhaps the time has arrived when they feel it necessary they should do so, for it is apparent that the publicans' business in the ducal town is not near so lucrative as it was formerly. There are many causes to account for this ; but one point is obvious, people nowadays have not so much idle time to while away in a public-house, nor have they as much money at command. A retrospect of the last quarter of a century shows that more than half of the public-houses in Alnwick existing during this period have been closed, and are now the private residences of respectable townspeople. As it may be interesting to some of our readers, we will commemorate those fully-licensed inns which hare been closed during the past twenty years. Canongate Street: Black Horse, Stag Inn, Crown and Globe. Bailiffgate Street: Red Lion. Narrowgate Street: Alnwick Castle Inn, Half Moon Inn. Pottergate Street: Ship Inn. Paike Street: Shakespeare Tavern. Bondgate Street (North Side): Northumberland Arms, Post Boy. Bondgate Street (South Side —from the Tower): Masons' Arms, Cattle Market Tavern, Cross Keys, King's Arms. Corn Market: George and Dragon. Clayport Street (South Side): William IV., Pack Horse. Clayport Street (North Side): Clayport Tower Inn, Anchor Inn. Green Bat: Queen's Head Hotel (now the site of the police barracks.) South Road: Royal Oak, Willow Tree. 

There have also been several beer shops closed. Thirty-one public-houses are still licensed in Alnwick (including the Bee Hive in the Market Place, which has been shut up for several years, and the Pickwick Inn —formerly a brewery —in Roxburgh Place, which has been wanting a tenant since November last.) It, however, cannot be said that temperance has made any great incur upon the publicans' trade in Alnwick, if we take a similar retrospective view. Sixteen and seventeen years ago, Good Templarism flourished in Alnwick—like all novelties—there being three distinct lodges of the brotherhood, and upwards of 600 members. Now there only exists one lodge, the youngest of the three, which has had a very fitful life, but is now, we understand, in more improved circumstances than it has been for several years. There is a mighty lot can be said, for and against the liquor traffic. In our opinion prohibitory measures have a far more demoralising effect than a free unlimited sale. 

Saturday,  Mar. 21, 1891 Morpeth Herald

Following sale of the building in the 1870s, it was demolished and then rebuilt, the new building becoming Newbigin's Chemist store.

James Lesslie Newbigin was a well-known chemist, druggist, and mineral water manufacturer in Alnwick. In 1881, he commissioned the renowned local architect Frederick R. Wilson to design a house and shop at 13 Narrowgate, right near Alnwick Castle. The pharmacy line successfully operated there for a century before closing around 1980. The original interior fittings and antique apothecary jars were so pristine they were purchased at auction by a pharmaceutical firm and preserved inside the local Alnwick Research Centre (now operating as Quotient Sciences).

The following plans for the new building were found by researchers from the Northumberland Archives and date back to 1881.

Exterior of 13 Narrowgate

Interior of 13 Narrowgate