A notorious Ryde pub once branded the ‘grottiest in Britain’ was given the green light for demolition 20 years ago today, on 19th May 2006.
The decision sealed the fate of the former Partlands Hotel – a once-prominent Victorian boozer on Swanmore Road that had, by the late 20th century, become infamous far beyond the Isle of Wight.
Its claim to fame was as unlikely as it was unforgettable. After a News of the World survey crowned it the worst pub in the country, the owners leaned into the notoriety, proudly hanging a banner declaring the title for all to see.
Rather than driving drinkers away, the label had the opposite effect. According to the Isle of Wight pub guide of 1997, curious punters flocked through the doors, eager to see just how bad Britain’s “grottiest pub” could really be.
By the early 2000s, the venue had reinvented itself as the Lilly Deacon – a name lifted from local legend. Tales told of a barmaid who met a grim end in the cellar, her presence said to linger long after last orders.
Stories of strange goings-on below ground only added to the pub’s reputation. Staff and regulars spoke of objects being moved, unexplained noises and an uneasy feeling that you were not alone.
Further on the story of Lilly Deacon may be found here.
But by the time planners considered its future, the once-busy pub had fallen silent. Boarded up and fading fast, its days were already numbered.
The Isle of Wight Council’s development control committee approved plans to bulldoze the building and replace it with an L-shaped block of flats and houses, with some concessions made to echo the original Victorian frontage.
Not long after, the wrecking crews moved in – wiping away a pub that had traded for well over a century under its Partlands Hotel name, and later as one of the Island’s most talked-about drinking spots.
But was the Lilly Deacon really the “grottiest pub in Britain”? Did you ever brave a pint inside – and was its infamous reputation deserved?
Another excellent article.
Now that’s gone, the grottiest pub is now Smokin’ Jacks, Wroxall, this will never be a pub again, absolutely awful food, terrible staff too, so rude to customers, no wonder they went bust so quick.