HISTORY OF THE PLOUGH
The Plough at Kings Walden has been serving beer from its two-acre plot since at least 1846. This Asset of Community Value (ACV) was formerly an ale house with jugs of beer being walked up from the cellar kitchen via a set of steps you can still use when you visit the toilets today. The pub was once called Godlett’s Hall but the reasons why, are lost in time - perhaps a landlord was once called Mr Godlett and the property, which is grade II listed, could have been a traditional ‘hall house’ i.e. a one room house with a fire in the middle and a hole in the roof for smoke to escape. The pub has been run by numerous Landlords but most details are lost in the sands of time. Let us know if you can provide any updates to the list below:
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Colin Hill 2022-2024
Colin & Mary Hill 2007-2022
David Sheldrick 2005-2007
Peter & Gail Brocket 2002-2005
Danny Blackwell 1999-2002
John & Mary Game
Mick Evans
Dave & Barbara Leece 1986 -
John and Joyce Ward 1979-1986
Jack and Barbara Day
The pub has been owned by several giant ‘PubCo’s’ in recent years - Greene King, Carlsberg Marstons, Punch Taverns, New River Retail/Hawthorn Leisure and until recently, Admiral Taverns. In the summer of 2023, Admiral put the pub up for sale with planning applications to convert the pub from a two-bed pub into a four-bed residential property with separate games and cinema room.
At this point, a villager and local patron of the pub, Adam Nicoll helped mobilize the village and put a proposal to Richard Pilkington of the Pilkington Farms Partnership to help save the pub. The ‘Save The Plough’ campaign was born. Within a week the associated Facebook group hit 714 members. Within a month it generated 207 objections to Admiral Tavern’s planning proposals, media attention was granted on the BBC’s website, appearances on Three Counties Radio followed and several hits across regional and trade press - The Morning Advertiser, The Comet, among others.
The Pilkington Estate, which has many rental properties within walking distance of the pub, was massively keen from the get-go to help fund a purchase to help secure the asset for the community. With the help of the Pilkington Farms Partnership CFO, Brenda James, Adam and Richard Pilkington established the Ley Green Community Asset Limited, a local community body which was able to put forward a bid during the six-month period of moratorium in which only community groups could bid for an asset of community value like this. It was at this point that Admiral Taverns opened the doors of communication fully, seeing that there was a genuine and robust team in place to front an offer. Some encouragement from the breakfast team at Three Counties Radio also helped bring both parties together and real progress began to be made.
On May 24th 2024,we completed the purchase of The Plough pub, protecting a vital community asset, which makes Kings Walden, a real village, not just a collection of houses and secures this amenity for generations to come.