The Great Blowe, 1648

It involved a large explosion at the County Armoury,
which killed several people and damaged nearby
buildings and churches.
Hence the above title, given after the riot.
Many contemporary accounts were written, some
of which mention the pubs that the rioters used
(or abused?) on their rampage through the City.

Their destination was Bethel Street, as the Armoury
(known as the "Committee House") stood where
the Bethel Hospital was later built.
The street name at the time was Committee Street.

The route taken was from near the church of
St. Michael at Plea [1] via the Market Place.
Pubs affected were therefore mainly in the Market
and Bethel Street areas; apparently extending to
the White Lion, in Bethel Street and the Black Swan
and Ye Borrows Head in Upper St. Giles
- for persons fleeing towards St. Giles' Gates and Earlham.

So, the riot was a very important event in relation to
research on pubs; so we should be a bit grateful to
the mob, some 2000-strong.

[1] Pubs "further out" -
      used as rallying points, included :-

• the Christopher in St. Augustine's;
• the Black Bull in Magdalen Street;
• the Popinjay in Tombland.

Where possible, build-dates are shown in the lists,
as well as pub starting-dates.