The village has been without one of it’s social hubs The Wadkin Arms since it closed in November 2020, and after much rumour and speculation, Simon the new landlord, had sent a social media message that the pipes had had to be inspected, and the doors would open as soon as possible.
Imagine the excitement of the locals when during the week the lights had been on and people could be seen wandering around inside! We had to let people down gently by telling them it was the OHHG who had been in “surveying” the building – and to add insult to injury broke the news that pipes had corroded, and new ones need fitting, and there was no timescale when this would be done.
So, here’s what was occurin.
Monday morning started with Shirley sat outside the Wadkin waiting for Jan and Mark to arrive, and people on their dog walks asking what she was doing. Before going into the pub, information gleaned from newspaper reports from 1841, and the 1870s, was looked at which gave a little insight into how many rooms there had been at the time, and mention of a “dark passage” from the back door of the inn. As Shirley put the key in the door, she uttered “I just hope the burglar alarm has been disabled for us, or it could be mighty embarrassing” Once in, it was a case of having a good nosey round upstairs and downstairs and finding our bearings. Getting to grips with the panel of light switches was a challenge in itself.
Through the rabbit warrens , unlocking internal doors as we go, and then outside into the back. Looking at some changes in brickwork generated the first big debate, and it certainly was not the last “big debate” to be had over the three days we were there!
Back inside, it was tape measure out to record the layout of the building with all the nooks and crannies and Mark sketching the outline and recording measurements. This first day set-up a theme which would continue for the rest of our time in there – Jan saying “where’s the metre mark”. So end of day one, Mark had to go home to let Sophie the dog out.
June had shared with us her recollection of the layout of the downstairs when she visited her relatives when she was a youngster, and on her visits to the pub when she first went in aged 18. She had also been chatting to a relative, now aged 92, of her recollections. June also shared photos of the rear of the Wadkin in the late 1930s/1940s, and confirmed a chimney where the changes in brickwork were – it’s good when evidence comes along!
It was an earlier start on our return on Wednesday, and today was focussing on measuring the upstairs. Steps and lamps were part of the toolkit today, to have a peek into the attic. Mark and Jan back on the measuring tape, Shirley went around knocking on walls to establish support walls and false walls, and solid and false beams. Mark and Jan discovered some very interesting features in the attic, but was limited by the size of the steps. Shirley went off to get her step ladders, and people thought she had lost the plot carrying step ladders up the street and with Jan carrying them back, folk wanted to know what they had been doing with them! Having debated whether to keep working or go home, the latter prevailed.
Our final day three in the building was measuring the external area, and Mark measuring the windows internally. Colin pulled-up and shared his recollections of where the toilets were in the late 60s and his local knowledge of when modern extensions were added. Simon, the landlord, was around today (and shared the news about the pipes).
We continue to collect evidence, and local resident’s recollections, and hope it can be all pieced together to pull together the history of the much loved “Waddy”. Watch this space………