Inn History
The Horseshoes Inn has been in existence since at least 1841. Prior to that date, the only other entry is in Bateson: it states that in 1595, there was an offence (sic) made against Mathew Taylor ‘’he kepeth a tipling house and service tyme’’ – this suggests that the origins of the inn date back much further than 1841.
Local History
Local hearsay is that the inn was built in 1720. It was owned by the Duke of Northumberland, Henry Percy, as was the rest of the village at this time. According to Thomas Wilkins map in 1782, there was a smithy in the premises, now known as The Horseshoes Inn. There is an entry in the 1850 Terrier, accompanying Thomas Bells map of the village which states that John Todd paid rent for the land and the public house to the Duke.
The trade of the blacksmith seems to have run alongside that of a farmer, butcher and publican. The blacksmith appears to have travelled within about a 20 miles radius therefore the responsibility for running the inn fell to the blacksmiths wife and their daughters, the male line continuing the other professions.
There is a gap in the records from 1916 – 1951, but we do know that a ‘Mrs Brough’ ran the inn during World War 2 and up to 1951. During these years villagers remember the inn being used for cutting gents hair and doubling as a Sunday school. The name of the inn was first recorded in documents belonging to the Duke of Northumberland, in 1887 as the Horse Shoe changed to the Horse Shoe Inn in 1898 and to the Horse Shoes Inn Public House in 1908.
