Home > Leicestershire > Coalville > Railway Hotel Railway Hotel

The Railway Hotel was originally a ticket office for the new railway in the 19th century and later converted to a pub. Closed in 1965 it is now a daycare centre.

Source: Wayne Robinson

I was manager of The Railway Hotel in 1964/65 and can assure you it did not close in 1965 - it was many years later. Probably our most famous guest was Coco the Clown who was there to promote the new shopping mall.

Derrick Pawley

This was the place to be in the mid sixties. Live bands every weekend and standing room only. Tthe pub seemed to have lost momentum around 1970, and unfortunately never regained it.

Wayne Robinson, Calgary Canada (March 2011)

My apologies to Mr Pawley the Railway didn’t close in 1965. I only hit the legal drinking age in 1967 about the time when the Railway was in its heyday. I don’t know the exact date it closed as I have been in Canada since the 1970s I suspect it was in the early 1980s.

Wayne Robinson, Calgary Canada (May 2011)

The Railway Hotel was where my mother and father were tenants in 1960. I was five years old and had four older sisters. Kathleen, Laureen, Winifred and Claire, I went to my first school in Coalville, first teacher Miss Bacon. I remember the old Hotel very well and could write A book about the things that went on there. My father’s name was Laurance Freeman and my Mum’s was Winifred. the old cook was Harry. Maybe someone will remember the small fire we had, it started in the attic, my sisters and I had a candle on the chair and some clothes caught fire, we ran to my older sister’s room and got Laureen she got Kathleen who was taking a bath and put it out before it spread. Next day in the paper it said Freeman children put out fire in hotel. We did not stay there very long my Mum was homesick for Edinburgh so we came back to Scotland but I have my first memories of the Railway Hotel.

Margaret Ann Workman (April 2014)

The pub was certainly open in 1969 when I was in the sixth form at Coalville Grammar. The pub was in two distinct parts - one for rockers and one for a type of mod. The front room was well used by the latter, often with live music of varying quality but usually good. Great place to meet girls as long as you were sure there were no past boyfriends lurking! A couple of pints here then through the precinct to the Grand Ballroom! Many, many memories and most very good!!!!

Paul Sankey (October 2017)

Do you have any anecdotes, historical information, updates or photos of this pub? Become a contributor by submitting them here. Like this site? Follow us on Make email contact with other ex-customers and landlords of this pub by adding your details to this page.