Larkhall is one Bath community that can still proudly boast that it has three pubs along its ‘main road’ and one of them – the Bladud’s Head – has been making some interesting discoveries whilst doing major external renovations.
It’s also handy having local artist Pete Cashman as one of your regulars when it comes to making a feature out of some ‘hidden’ details that were found beneath the old paint-work.
Pete has restored writing on the side of the building from nothing more than a ‘shadow’ imprint of the original ‘official notice’ which he thinks may date to the mid 1800’s.
Whilst on the corner edge – a Harlequin-styled diamond pattern is glowing again under his stead hand and delicate brushwork.
He thinks it was a pattern that may have acted as a warning to anyone who didn’t realise they were close enough to this hard-edged corner of the building and in danger of banging their head.
Pete has already made his mark at the pub. He did the artwork on the pub’s new Bladud’s Head sign which hangs out front.
The ancient and legendary King of Bath’s features, he says, are taken from an old coin the landlord has in his possession.
While l was taking shots a local lady passed by and stopped to tell us the pub was once a line of cottages and she remembers two of them originally licenced to sell alcohol.
Any other memories of this Larkhall feature would be gratefully received by the Virtual Museum.
