21 Market Street

Market Tavern Tap 21 Market Street Atherstone
A building on this site is mentioned in the 1547 survey in the name of Thomas Lyndop. A late eighteenth century rebuild gave the building the outside appearance that we know today and a late nineteenth / early twentieth century renovation did the same for the ground floor internally.
The building was mainly residential with the occasional business being run. The first known occupant was William Fox in 1593, with the Draper family being next to live here. Joseph Grew, a butcher by trade in 1760 then passed on the premises in 1793 to Richard Leigh, a stationer. He then sold the property to John Sanders, a liquor merchant in 1811 for £650. This transaction put down the first seeds to the building becoming a licensed premises.
Gradually the wine and spirits business began to operate as an inn and under the auspices of Frances Sanders, John’s widow it was named as the Spirit Vaults around 1870. Local auctioneer Ralph Crisp took up the mantle and became the publican in the 1880s.
Arthur Windridge became landlord in 1892 and it was he who decided to change the name of the inn to the Cricketers’ Arms around that time, cricket becoming a popular sport nationwide. The inn became a thriving centre for sports clubs in the town.
Atherstone Town Football Club used the pub as its headquarters and the local Cricket Club held meetings and functions there. By 1895 William Whitehead was landlord and he owned the field in Sheepy Road where the football team moved to from Ratcliffe Road for matches.
In January 1905, William Whitehead, on purchasing the Angel Inn opposite, moved there. Atherstone Town FC, along with their supporters went too. Edward Wood was the new landlord and drinks included Holder’s Bitter, Ratcliffe and Jeffrey’s Stout on draught as well as Bass, Worthington and Guinness in bottles.
In 1916 John Loakes was landlord and stayed 21 years until 1937 when George Davis took it on and he stayed 35 years ! By this time the pub was known locally as The Cricks. John and June Hickinbotham were here from 1972 until 1984 when Paul and Ita Hanlon became landlords, followed by Malcolm and Carol Burton.
In 1994 the name of the pub changed to The Market Tavern. There was a succession of landlords before the Warwickshire Brewery Co took it on until it closed in early 2024.
On the 19th September 2024 the pub was reopened as the Market Tavern Tap by Leigh Watts and Antoni Dawe. The renovated first floor was opened in 2025 and work is ongoing to open up the top floor of the pub.