The Lost Pubs of Lemsford Parish

The Lost Pubs of Lemsford Parish show the pubs in the Parish who are no longer here _ To view Gallery Click Here

When The Great North Road went through Lemsford it is said as many as 150 coaches a day. Carriages and wagons would pass through the village daily. All the inns would have offered food and drink for the travellers. Accommodation would be provided if required. Wheelwrights and blacksmiths were available to service the wagons and horses. Stabling for the horses would also have been provided.We are lucky that many of these pubs are still with us, but this page looks at the ones we have lost.

The Lamb

‘The Lamb’ or ‘Holy Lamb’ was at Cromer Hyde. John Thomas, a ‘trader’ had issued tokens to customers as long ago as 1666 but there are no records as to where this ale house was located. However, from study of a current O.S. map of the area it was noted that there was a small copse known as Lamb’s Grove just North of Cromer Hyde Lane. Jeremy Summers, former member of Lemsford Local History Group did some further investigation. He studied an older map and noted letters P.H. at the intersection of the Rowallan Lane with Marford Road, It is concluded that this could well be the site of the Lamb public house, i.e. one kilometre north of the ‘Crooked Chimney, formally ‘The Chequers’ on the west side of the Marford Road (Lemsford to Wheathampstead road) and immediately to the south of the point where it intersected (now crosses over) the Rowallan Lane which runs from Colemans Green to Ayot Green. This location is about half a kilometre to the northeast of the Lamb’s Grove copse. Unfortunatley the date of this older map is not known. It should be noted that there is no building located in this position on the 1838 Tithe Map of the area. Further research of the archives pre 1838 is required. The Victuallers Billeting returns dated 1756 state that there was accommodation available for four travellers and up to three horses at ‘ The Lamb’. This compares with thatprovided at the nearby ‘Checkers’ (sic) for seven travellers and six horses. Thomas Buckthorpe was named as the vicualler. Both the ‘Checkers’ (sic) and ‘Lamb’ are listed as being at Hornbeam Hall

The Lost Pubs of Lemsford Parish show the pubs in the Parish who are no longer here _ To view Gallery Click Here

The Roebuck

‘The Roebuck’ stood on the opposite side of the road to the presentRoebuck Farm house (No 57). It was situated just down the hill from where the pair of cottages, Nos, 40 and 42, now stand and in the grounds of what is now Mill House (No 38). It is first mentioned in 1756. The 1838 Land Rgistry lists James Cheshire ( or Chester) as the tenant of several fields, a cottage and of the ‘ Roebuck Inn’ which was owned by Lord Melbourne. Circa 1860 it was being run by john Chesher until it was closed down in about 1880.

The Lost Pubs of Lemsford Parish show the pubs in the Parish who are no longer here _ To view Gallery Click Here

The Wagon & Horses’

‘ The Wagon & Horses’ (or Waggoners) was located opposite St Johns Church at the site now occupied by Gosmore House. It was owned by a member of the Slight family who was a waggoner by trade. When he decided to open his house to the public for the sale of ale the choice of name was obvious! In 1842 it was owned by a Mr Mills and later by a Mr Cox. In 1882 the owner was Charles Higby Lattimore. The occupants were George and Lydia Hill with six children and Charles and emma Smith (nee Hill) with one child. George was a watercress man. Eventually however, Lord Mount Stephen and the vicar, the Rev F. Coggin, prevailed upon the brewers to close the pub down because of its proximity to the church. It wasclosed circa 1890 and demolished. It was replaced in 1900 by a house for a resident nurse to serve Lemsford & Ayot Green/Ayot St Peter areas, and was later described as a Nursing Home.

One Source has called the Inn ‘The star’ anther ‘The Church Gate’ . It is thought that the latter name, however, may have been used merely as a description of the Inns location. In the same way ‘The Chequers’ was often called ‘The Crooked Chimney long before that name was officially adopted.

The Lost Pubs of Lemsford Parish show the pubs in the Parish who are no longer here _ To view Gallery Click Here

'The Angel'

‘The Angel’ originates from about 1720.It was situated in the extreme north – east corner of the parish about 100 yards south of the present ‘ Waggoners’ at Ayot Green and approximately opposite the entrance to the existing Brickwall cottage in Brickwall Close (the Great North Road prior to the building of the motorway). In 1733 the ‘inn-holder’ Ambrose Bone left it to his wife, and three years later it passed to her nephew Lawrence Currell. In 1773 it was owned by Lord Melbourne and later by his descendants. In the 1838 Land Registry the occupant of the Inn and premises is given to John Nightingale. ‘The Angel’ was demolished in 1850 on the order of Lady Palmerston of Brocket Hall. It is said that there is a depression in the ground marked by a group of poplars that identifies where the building was located but this is no longer apparent. The licence passed to ‘The Waggoners.

The Lost Pubs of Lemsford Parish show the pubs in the Parish who are no longer here _ To view Gallery Click Here

‘Horse & Jockey’ (Ayot Green)

The Horse & Jockey was a public house that formed part of what is now known as No 5 Ayot Green which is set back from the left side of the road as one approaches from the Great North Road. In 1838 the present building was two cottages and seems to have remained so throughout the 19th century. In the 1838 register boyh were owned by John Messer. One of the cottages was let but he occupied the other and this was the public house. It was established about 1820 and its name was connected with the racecourse in Brocket Park. In 1871 John Messers son Albert held the licence. In 1891 census Ernest Jaques was the publican but it is suggested in”Ayot St Peter – A Parish History” that this was perhaps an erroneous rendering of ‘ Jeakings’ but there is no evidence given to substantiate this. Later however , a William Jeakings became the last licence before it closed shortly after the end of WW1. William died in December 1922 at the age of 56. His Wife died in January 1947 at the age of 74. They had a son Ernest who was still living at the family home, No 8 Ayot Green, in1965.

The Lost Pubs of Lemsford Parish show the pubs in the Parish who are no longer here _ To view Gallery Click Here

Stan Borrie was a founder member of Lemsford Local History Group. He produced most of the research for the ‘Pubs of Lemsford Parish’ and published a booklet for the group. He died in 2010 and is sadly missed.

When the Great North Road went through Lemsford it is said as many as 150 coaches a day. Carriages and wagons would pass through the village daily. All the inns would have offered food and drink for the travellers. Accommodation would be provided if required. Wheelwrights and blacksmiths were available to service the wagons and horses. Stabling for the horses would also have been provided.Read More about the Golden Age Of Lemsford - Click Here