July 26, 2016 3.27 pm This story is over 92 months old

Inn named in King Henry VIII inventory for sale in Gainsborough

The three-centuries-old Stirrup Inn near Gainsborough is up for sale, with a number of priceless and fascinating tales to its name. The freehold of the Stirrup Inn at Willoughton is on the market for an asking price of £345,000. The property housing the inn is known to have existed since at least 1536, when it was named…
The Stirrup Inn dates back to 1536, when it was named in an inventory drawn up by King Henry VIII.

The three-centuries-old Stirrup Inn near Gainsborough is up for sale, with a number of priceless and fascinating tales to its name.

The freehold of the Stirrup Inn at Willoughton is on the market for an asking price of £345,000.

The property housing the inn is known to have existed since at least 1536, when it was named in an inventory drawn up by King Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries.

It is thought to have become an inn around 1774, and came into its own as a village inn in the 1800s, whilst under the care of first the Marshall family.

Then, in 1880, it was owned by local brewer George Wainwright, who kept the pub until his death in 1945.

The inn is today owned by Simon Marshall and his mother Janet, whose family has owned the pub for over a quarter of a century.

Simon said: “My mother Janet and I have loved every minute of working and living at the Stirrup.

“It’s been part of my family for nearly 26 years, and we’ve really enjoyed, as time has gone on, discovering more about the history of the building.

“We’ve been working closely with local historian Edward Taylor, who is writing a book about the history of the Stirrup Inn, and it’s been fascinating hearing all of the stories, including the times the late Queen Mother used to visit the village in the 1960s when she kept her horses at the estate’s stables.”

Tom Rawlinson, Business Agent at Christie & Co’s Nottingham office, is handling the sale. He said: “The Stirrup Inn is a fantastic property and business which is steeped in local history dating back over four hundred years.”