The Star Inn was a Styring ale house and stood in West Street between Queen Street and West Butts Street. All of these were demolished and replaced by the RNLI headquarters and its adjacent store. The Star Inn was built as a beer house around 1789 and was originally called the Air Balloon and had its own brew house. It brewed its own beer until it was taken over by the Dolphin Poole Brewery in 1826 and was licensed to sell beer, cider and wine. In August 1823 its victualler, William Lockyer, was fined 13s and costs of 7 s after being convicted of 'suffering persons to remain drinking and tippling .... during the hours of Divine Service.
In 1894 its name was changed to the Dolphin, and then to the Bricklayers Arms and finally to the Star Inn. It closed on 25 July 1956 and was demolished soon after in order to allow the widening of West Street. The name and licence were transferred to the New Star in Herbert Avenue which opened the following day.
Extract from 'A Pint of Good Pale Ale, Poole's Inns, Taverns & Breweries', by Andrew Hawkes