First a new photograph - the Monument on 23 June 2009.

Next the Tap & Spile - after the old Monument sign had been rehung. Complete with roof garden.

It looks like they've had the Police round already!

To the left of the door is evidence that the Monument was once owned by Hall's of Oxford.

Before Hall's it was a Watney's pub - acquired when they bought Usher's Wiltshire Brewery from Trowbridge. The Ushers symbol shows either side of the door in this picture from the 1970s(ish).

Much further back (c1880) it was a Blatch's pub - Blatch's brewery was in Theale.

Has anyone some more photos of this fine old pub - perhaps illustrating another phase of its history?

Quoted from blackdog

Before Hall's it was a Watney's pub - acquired when they bought Usher's Wiltshire Brewery from Trowbridge. The Ushers symbol shows either side of the door in this picture from the 1970s(ish).

No it doesn't - that is the Ind Coope symbol. It was never a Watney/Ushers pub.

I was told that Bob Blatch, of Blatch's Brewery in Theale, was absolutely determined that Courage would not get their hands on his pubs, so he sold them or left them to Ind Coope of Burton. They had taken over Hall's Oxford Brewery and re-badged all the pubs formerly served by that company.

The Old Chequers in Thatcham is another former Blatch's/Halls/Ind Coope pub.

Quoted from Brewmaster

No it doesn't - that is the Ind Coope symbol. It was never a Watney/Ushers pub.
.

Quite right. Blatch's and all the pubs were sold to Ind Coope when the brewery in Theale was sold. The brewery itself behind the pub which was The Wheel of Fortune was sold to Robert Gaines Cooper who founded Gainesmead Group and operated his Fruit Machine and Juke box company from there. It eventually became MAM Inn Play but has now been developed for luxury apartments and housing.

Ind Coope,Hall's Ushers etc all eventually became Allied breweries Burton on Trent before the big sell up.

Quoted from Brewmaster

No it doesn't - that is the Ind Coope symbol. It was never a Watney/Ushers pub.

My mistake - thanks for pointing it out.

Now where did I get the idea that the red hand was an Ushers symbol ...

Quoted from blackdog

My mistake - thanks for pointing it out.  Now where did I get the idea that the red hand was an Ushers symbol ...

Red Barrel?

Quoted from brian

Ind Coope,Hall's Ushers etc all eventually became Allied breweries Burton on Trent before the big sell up.

No again! Ushers became a part of Watneys.

Quoted from Brewmaster

The Old Chequers in Thatcham is another former Blatch's/Halls/Ind Coope pub.

And the Blue Ball (hoping to get it right this time).

The Bull at  Stanford Dingley still has Blatch's showing on a sign on the wall

Quoted from Brewmaster

No again! Ushers became a part of Watneys.

yep. My mistake I visited the brewery often enough so should have known better. I worked for Grand Metropolitan in those days.

Quoted from brian

yep. My mistake I visited the brewery often enough so should have known better. I worked for Grand Metropolitan in those days.

Never mind, that doesn't make you a bad person!

Quoted from Brewmaster

Never mind, that doesn't make you a bad person!

Now there's forgiveness for you!

Having looked into it a little it seems the red hand symbol came from Samuel Allsopp & Sons Ltd who merged with Ind Coope (both of Burton) in 1934. They traded as Ind Coope & Allsopps until 1959, when the Allsopp bit was dropped. Became part of Allied Breweris in 1971.

It was Allsopps who bought out Halls Oxford Brewery in 1926, and stopped brewing but kept the site, presumably as a distrubution centre. Over time this became Ind Coope (Halls) Ltd and then Ind Coope (Oxford & West) Ltd who, in 1965, bought Blatch's Theale Brewery together with 22 pubs. In 1980 the name changed to Halls Oxford & West Brewery, presumably to persuade the punters that it was a nice regional brewery rather than the huge conglomorate it was actually a part of. In 1984 it was operating 300 pubs.

So the picture with the red hands must be after 1965, perhaps around 1970?  And the tiles that have been so lovingly preserved are no older than 1980(not that I'm complaining - I like them).