The Old White Hart

The building on the right with a slope up to an archway with outdoor stairs alongside, was the White Hart pub, which opened in the 1740s. It was also owned by the Cartwrights. The first landlord seems to have been Thomas Bygrave.

The insurance sign above the door of the right hand building indicates protection in case of fire. The original contract shows a cobbler working there. Old coins and leather sewing needles have been found by the current owner.

A Pig Club met regularly in the room above the archway. Members paid subs and got benefits. Many people had pigs to provide meat for much of the year and their slaying was a major event. Everything was used; the head, brawn, trotters etc. The bacon was usually hung high over the stove to smoke.

By 1941 the pub was an off-licence and general store: it must have been in direct competition with the village shop directly opposite; it is now a couple of private dwellings.

Sybil Stevens remembers:
"The Jug and Bottle door was approached from the back entrance via Skittle Alley. People came with their jugs to fill up with ale, unseen by their neighbours.
The off licence and general store had a very high counter. Children would sneak in and if the lady was serving they would duck down and creep out. She was very fierce.
Both shops were right opposite and watched each others customers jealously. They would ask what was so special about the opposite shop if they had seen you go in.
When the school nurse visited, the children were led down to the old bakehouse in a crocodile and were weighed on the corn weighing machine. This was the nearest accurate scale to the school. The children enjoyed seeing the mice scampering about."