This attractive 14th century Harvey's pub is set in multi-award winning gardens. Inside there are a public bar, a second bar with a number of secluded booths, and a separate restaurant. At least three, often four, Harvey's ales including a seasonal are offered all year round. Home-prepared food is also available every day. Games include darts, shove-halfpenny and the local toad-in-the-hole. There are regular games nights, occasional live music and an annual beer festival.
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: II
Faced with painted brick and weatherboarding, this pub consists of a long series of rooms across the front and one to the right rear (the latter probably brought into use quite recently for dining). An old photograph in the far right front room suggests the pub once comprised a couple of rooms either side of the main entrance with the parts further to the right being in domestic use. The interwar period (probably 1930s) saw a good deal of work including extension to the left. The front left door leads to an inner lobby with some fielded panelling on one wall. The left-hand bar has a boarded floor, dado panelling, a panelled counter and large inglenook fireplace all from the inter-war period including a window seating area (wood-block flooring here). Elsewhere the padded counter front must surely be post-war work.
Weatherboarded and painted brick fronatge with a long series of rooms across the front and one to the right rear. An old photograph in the pub shows how the pub used to be either side of the main entrance with the right-hand parts used as a dwelling. There seems to have been a great deal of work in the interwar period when the pub seems to have assumed its present size with extensions to the front left added in the 1930s. The brick fireplace and the panelling (the latter in different styles) seem of this period. Front left door leads to inner lobby with some fielded panelling on one wall. Left hand bare boarded bar has dado panelling, a panelled bar counter and large inglenook fireplace all from the inter-war period including a window seating area (wood block floor here).
The small lounge bar has fielded panelling on the walls to two-thirds height, a fielded panelled bar counter, two fine window seating areas with benches attached to fielded panelled walls with upholstered padded panels and a brick fireplace all from the inter-war period, but the bar back looks modern. On the right through a doorway is a sequence of three small connected areas and has the right hand door. First has a small 1930s brick fireplace (disused), dado fielded panelling painted cream and is served from a doorway to the side of the servery.
The far right room separated from the first area by standing timbers has another 1930s brick fireplace and more dado fielded panelling painted cream and the rear area was brought into use in recent times. As a result of the recent concentration on food a Toad in the Hole game has gone from the left hand bar and the fine stag's head Ringing the Bull game which was in the saloon bar is no more. The record is held by Bill Harris who in 1952/3 ringed the stag with 58 consecutive throws - the stag's head has since been moved. 'The Room' is a function room conversion in a separate building on the far left.
This Pub serves 2 changing beers and 2 regular beers.
Blackboys Inn, Blackboys
Changing beers typically include: Harvey's (seasonal) , Harvey's (varies)