The later history of Basildon's pubs reflects changes in shopping, nightlife, food and the redevelopment of the town centre. Large purpose-built 1960s pubs were joined by converted shop units, chain pubs and pub-restaurants.
Southernhay, Basildon
The Bull's Eye opened on 11 August 1964 and was the first purpose-built public house in Basildon Town Centre. It had two ground-floor bars and an upper ballroom capable of holding around 250 people, together with an outside terrace. The ballroom could also function as a large dining room, so food, drink, dancing and social events were all part of the original concept.
The name resulted from a competition run by Charrington and the Basildon Recorder; before the competition the proposed name had been The Toby Jugg. Cope's Taverns initially ran the pub for Charrington. Later the upstairs and restaurant areas changed considerably, including a period as a Mr Toby Carvery.
Around 1998 the pub became The Beehive. In 1999 the upper bar became Colors, which developed into a prominent nightclub. After later refurbishment the upstairs venue reopened as The Loft in 2022. Live bands have also performed in the outside area in more recent years.
Market Square, Basildon
The Moon on the Square opened on 11 January 1996. Unlike the purpose-built New Town pubs, it was created by joining together four of the original 1958 Market Square shop units. J. D. Wetherspoon operated it as a free house.
The name followed Wetherspoon's wider 'Moon' naming tradition, inspired by George Orwell's description of his imaginary ideal pub, The Moon Under Water. The pub brought a large, open-plan chain-pub format to the heart of the pedestrian town centre, offering drinks and the food-led trade associated with the chain.
It closed on 25 September 2022 as major redevelopment plans for the western side of the town centre progressed. Its closure marked the end of more than a quarter of a century as one of Market Square's most visible meeting places.
Fodderwick / Westgate, Basildon
The Towngate opened in 2000 in Unit 9 of the newly built Westgate Shopping Park. The site had previously formed part of the area occupied by council temporary offices and the original Towngate Theatre. Its name deliberately recalled the old Towngate road and theatre.
It entered an unusually competitive patch of the town centre: Yates's Wine Lodge was next door, while The Moon on the Square and The Beehive were only a short walk away. The Towngate traded for about a decade before closing suddenly in 2010. A proposed refurbishment did not lead to a reopening.
Burnt Mills Road, Basildon
The Watermill opened in 1981 as a public house and restaurant. Its position beside the A132 East Mayne was chosen both for the recently completed Felmores housing area and for passing road traffic. It became associated with the Beefeater restaurant format, making meals a central part of the business rather than a secondary pub service.
A Travel Inn opened on the same site in February 1987 and was the first Travel Inn in the United Kingdom. Together the pub, restaurant and hotel represented a newer kind of roadside hospitality development quite different from both the old village inn and the 1950s neighbourhood local.
The history of Basildon's pubs is really a history of the town itself. The Five Bells grew from the old road and village economy; the Railway reflected Pitsea's expansion; the Crane, Jolly Friar and Winged Horse were built deliberately for New Town residents; the Double Six and Powerhouse became part of a thriving live-music circuit; and later venues such as the Moon on the Square reflected a move towards large chain pubs and food-led drinking.
They sold more than drinks. Depending on the period and venue, Basildon's pubs offered off-licence sales, restaurant meals, dinner dances, discos, snooker, live bands, private functions and community meeting space. Some became landmarks for generations of local residents, which is why pubs that disappeared decades ago are still remembered so strongly today.
Research note: Details of individual drinks brands and every performer have not always survived in reliable records. Where a particular brewery, meal, band, DJ or entertainer is named on these pages, it is because a historical source records that connection rather than because it has been assumed.