Bird in Bush

Approximate location / Grid Reference: NZ31722 54014

Google Maps: location: 54.8800, -1.5071

1828: Hiistory, Directory and Gazetteer of the Counties of Durham and Northumberland: Anthony Forster

1881: 1881 Census: Margaret Reay, aged 58, born Penshaw

1889: Mr J. Blanckley

1891: Mr J. Blanckley

1891: 1891 census: Thomas Buckley, aged 35, licensed victualler, born Leeds

1892: Mr John Blanckley

1894: Whellans Directory: T. Buckley

1901: 1901 census: John Malcolm, aged 43, married, born Penshaw

1902: Kelly's Directory of Durham: John Malcolm

1903: The London Gazette 24 November 1903: mentioned here: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27619/pages/7599/page.pdf

For context, see: http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27619/pages/7598/page.pdf

1911: 1911 Census: Mary Malcolm, aged 47, married, born Burnmoor

The Bird In Bush public house served the needs of the keelmen who plied up and down river with their loads of coal and stone, as well as the colliers themselves at nearby Penshaw Staithes (up-river) and Low Lambton (down-river). It was located at a bend in the river curiously named "Dog Hole" where staithes once stood as shown on old maps (see below). Thomas William Flannigan once ran the Bird in Bush but subsequently lost the licence to run it as a public house so changed it to Flannigan's Temperance Bar. It later became the family's residence, known as Bush House and is marked as such on some old maps.

Above: Penshaw Staithes (see relevant pages of this site) are the cluster of buildings on the right of this picture. The more distant white building is the Bird in Bush public house.

Above: Henry William Flannigan (on horse) and Thomas William Flannigan when the house was renamed Flannigan's Temperance Bar

Above: Taken from the Dog Hole area looking up-river, Penshaw Staithes is visible on the left. The fenced area bottom-left is the western perimeter of the Bird in Bush public house

Above: brick and rubble remains of the Bird in Bush public house can still be seen today in the ground

It is popularly believed that the Bird in Bush public house was demolished and that its remains lie at the bottom of the lake in the James Steel Country Park (also known as Mount Pleasant Lake). Only part of this is true, however. According to old maps (see below), this pub lay not far from the bend in the river to the east of Penshaw Staithes. On further investigations in the woods there, the remains of the pub can still be seen buried there today beneath a coating of soil and leaves.

Above: extract from 1819 map by Rennie. The Bird in Bush is not named but is the building near the centre of the map on the south side of the river.

Above: Bird In Bush, 1889

Above: the same area today

Above: The 1895 OS map with modern map overlaid

In early 2018, the following item was found by a dog walker approximately one mile from where the inn once stood. It could either be a glass bottle seal or possibly some kind of gaming token associated with The Bird-in-Bush inn, probably dating to the 1800s. The item's diameter is 65mm, depth 10mm and weight 74 grams. Can anyone shed any more light as to the purpose or origins of this fascinating item?

Pictures appear here courtesy of Mr Ian Richardson:

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette, 15 March 1881:

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette, 25 September 1889

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 02 November 1891:

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette 05 September 1892:

Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette October 18, 1892: