The Black Boy - pub sign, 50 Wyre Hill

Image: © P L Chadwick Taken: 25 Oct 2010

This splendid new sign has only been up a few months, and replaces the previous much-faded Banks's sign. It shows King Charles II. Bewdley was a strongly Royalist town in the 17th century civil war between the Royalists and Parliament. During the few years the country was a republic under Oliver Cromwell, the Royal Toast was forbidden. It became the custom for Royalists in that period to drink a toast to the health of "The Black Boy Across The Water". This was a reference to the fact that Charles II had a fairly dark complexion. Eventually he was restored to the English throne in 1660. Subsequently quite a number of pubs were named the Black Boy. Bewdley was unusual in having three establishments with this name, one being the former Black Boy Hotel in the Wribbenhall district, now renamed the Bewdley Hotel. The third, long closed, had a statue or model of a black boy attached to the outside. When it closed the model was transferred to the Black Boy on Wyre Hill. It was affixed to the front of the building until eventually it fell off and broke. In the lounge bar is a fascinating old photograph showing the pub with this model. Image

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