An ale house known as the Assembly House stood on the site from around 1720. This was replaced by the Bull & oak in the early 1900s. It past through ther hands of Tennant Brothers and Whitbread before being demolished a couple of years ago.
During the 19th century the "Shambles", a maze of slaughter houses, stood between the pub and the river. The open seweres and disgusting conditions made the area a hot bed for disease