It's hard to say when the Starkie Arms became an active inn.There is very good evidence that there has been a public house here since Tudor times.Orginally The Starkies was known as the Rose and Crown,a name that dates back to the 16th century.It was the badge of the Tudors and appears on their Charters and letter patent.Through out it's history this place has not always been a public house.Towards the end of the 18th century it had fallen into such a bad state of decay,that The Rose and Crown could not be granted a licence and was divided up into several tenements.The tenant in its delapidated days was a joiner who used the front of the house as his workshop.The rear of the ground floor was his living quarters.He let off the two upper rooms to a workman from Primrose for 1s.6d a week.The rent on the whole place was only ten pounds a year.The fact that the Starkie Arms had become so dilapidated at the end of the 18th century indeed suggests that it was a very old Inn of at least 200 years of age even then.This would carry its origin as an public house,back to the days of Queen Bess,the last of the Tudors.Earl Howe sold the place and was described in the sale as a "Dwelling House formerly the Rose and Crown".The place was bought by William Arkwright,a local builder,who then went on to demolish the inn all together and rebuild it.He completed the present building in 1836 and in the process made himself bankrupt.So again in1837 the place was put up for sale again.An advert in the Blackburn Gazette,January 4th 1837 read :-

TO BE LET WITH IMMEDIATE POSSESSION.

All that newly-erected and commodious Inn and Posting house within Clitheroe,known of the name Rose and Crown,and at present in the occupation of Matthew Standen.The premises are replete with every internal convenience,together with excellent Carriage and Gig Horses,and there is fine stabling for 18 horses.Particulars of rent&c.,from Mr.Arkwright,the owner,who will accommodate the in-coming tenant with Chaises,Gigs and Furniture.There are 30 good acres of good meadow and pasture land let with the house.

After the sale the Starkies played major part of public life in Clitheroe.The new Assembly room built there featured very prominently in public life.Up to the 1860's the house was from time to time used as the county court.It is not really known when The Rose and Crown changed its name to the The Starkie Arms,but in 1849 the house was owned by Le Gendre Nicholas Starkie,which he let to a James Rudd for just 50 pounds a year.These days The Starkie Arms is a shadow of its former self and now rents out the top two floors to residents there,which included the conversion of the ballroom in to flats.

Since completing this page,history has a habit of repeating it's self.The Starkies now is back to it's original name of The Rose and Crown and has had a six figure renovation. Making the now Rose and Crown again one of the main public house in Clitheroe.

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The Starkie Arms