The Butcher’s Arms, on High Street East, is the oldest pub in Sunderland and part of the Sunderland Heritage Trail. The building itself dates back to 1724, with licensing records for the premises dating back to 1753.
These days it is a cosy little East End venue: with a pool table that just fits in at the end of the bar and a fantastic view over the River Wear from the back windows. It also boasts a selection of real ales and features live music every weekend.
Originally called The Clarendon, the pub has operated under several names over the past 291 years including The Hare and Hounds and The Cropt Fox. During that time it has also been used by smugglers who transported rum via a hidden tunnel linking the pub the quayside; seen service as a mortuary and was allegedly a favoured haunt of pressgangers, who would coerce drunken locals into naval service.
One of the locals, retired merchant seaman Bob Chapman, recalled a local legend about two friends who were drinking in the pub when one was hit on the head and pressganged. He woke up at sea and was away for two years. When he got back, he was walking down High Street Bank when he bumped into his friend again. His friend asked “Where have you been?” and the man replied “I was pressganged.” Despite the man’s intentions to visit his family his friend convinced him to come for another drink, then he got pressganged again.
Other locals have more modern stories. Another regular, known as “Chucky”, met his wife in The Clarendon when she was a barmaid. They went on to have six children together. He went on to recall how the East End of Sunderland used to be quite vibrant but has died off in recent years. Something he puts down to the fact people would rather drink in the house. He also attributed the decline in the area’s nightlife to the 1997 murder of Tony Waters in The Eastender.
The pub's current name, ‘The Butcher’s Arms’ was inspired by the profession of its owner, Whitburn resident Steve Clark. Steve has a strong background in the meat industry; after leaving school at 16 he got a job at Sunderland Abattoir where he worked for 30 years. After leaving the abattoir Steve went on to work for several meat supply companies in both the North East and the Greater Manchester area. Steve currently runs Meat Direct, a local meat supply company.
Steve initially purchased the derelict pub for use as office space. As it was being refurbished, Steve received a lot of feedback from the local community about how the pub was a fantastic venue that had, in the past, been a victim of poor management more than anything. After hearing this, Steve decided to reopen the building as a pub. After 18-months of uncertainty, The Clarendon was given a lifeline.
During the refurbishment, Steve tried to retain as much of the pub’s original character as he could. The fireplace was refurbished, reclaimed bricks and other reclaimed building materials were used to keep the pub as authentic as possible despite some parts being modernized.
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