Did you know that people in Long Marston once had the choice of four pubs in the village? We are lucky to still have the Queen’s Head, but what happened to the others: The Rose and Crown, The White Hart and The Boot?
The Rose and Crown was the first to close in 1917. There has been a discussion on Long Marston Nostalgia Facebook site about when the White Hart ceased trading as a pub and the consensus was around 1955-57. In case you don’t know where the White Hart was, it was bang next to the Queens Head.
Many villagers, including me, will remember going into The Boot, which closed around 15 years ago. Interestingly it was originally licensed as an Ale House, only gaining a full wine and spirits licence later.
So I think we can conclude that at one point in its history, Long Marston had enough trade to support four pubs, though it is harder to say how long that golden age lasted. We know when they stopped trading, but as for the question when did the pubs first open, that seems to be lost in the mists of time.
James Kempton
