The Royal Oak

A Brief History of the “Royal Oak Pub” courtesy of Tony Marsh

Because many Grafton estate records were lost in a fire there is little detail available for buildings in Blisworth before 1700 and that includes the “publick house” at the crossroads centre of the village. Up until about 1955 it was enclosed on the High Street side by three small cottages, a sweet shop and a blacksmith’s workshop, all of which were demolished to yield a small car park and lawns to go with the small field attached to the building.

The main building is listed as a c1675 public house much modified in the 19th and 20th centuries. The thatch was retained until 1959 when it was destroyed by a fire that is thought to have been a vandal attack. In 1727 it was associated with a maltings that could have accommodated a communal brewing activity. In 1774 is the first mention of its name – The Plough, though; in 1831, it is renamed the Royal Oak. That name has been for many years been the traditional ‘mascot’ name for the British Army as well as recalling the legend of Charles II hiding in a hollow oak tree after his defeat by Cromwell’s army in 1649. There is no record why the Blisworth pub should be given that name other than a flow of national pride on beating back the French.

It has been a notable meeting place; for the Court Leet gatherings in early times, for village ‘dinners’ on high days such as for celebrating coronations etc., and for the parish council, sometimes, and the Oddfellows Society in the 20th century.

A previous landlord has claimed the building is at least 400 years old but, as explained above, there are no records. It has also been claimed that the building contained an upstairs prison despite the fact that in most thatched houses it would have been possible for a prisoner to burrow out through the thatch and escape.

For more information on the village visit the Blisworth website http://www.blisworth.org.uk/