Inns on the Edge
Engagement has concluded
The Inns on the Edge project focussed on historic pubs along the Lincolnshire coast. We aimed to improve our knowledge and understanding of these pubs. The project came about in response to the growing number of pub closures across the UK. It was a year-long pilot project funded by Historic England. The project has now completed.
The unique project looked at over 300 pubs between November 2021 and July 2022. We surveyed their status and condition and created a digital record for each one. These records will be added to the Lincolnshire Historic Environment Record. We have greatly increased the number of pubs available in the record. These records will better inform the planning process in future.
We found that most historic pubs have been demolished or converted to a different use. This includes uses such as converting to a shop or private residence. Only one third of surveyed pubs were still trading today.
The project had two further strands. Through Land on the Edge, we explored the history of the coast's landscape from the Mesolithic period to the modern era. Through Hospitality on the Edge, we looked at the economic viability of pub businesses. This helps us to better understand the challenges and opportunities they face. We are preparing reports on the findings of these different parts of the project. We will publish them and make them available to the public in 2023.
The Inns on the Edge team would like to thank everyone who made this project possible. In particular, Historic England for funding the project. We would also like to thank the people who followed and took part in the project online.
The links to the final project reports will be shared on this site when they are available.
In this project we asked what is so great about the British pub? The good company? The beer? The food? The old buildings? The good times and memories you share there?
Lincolnshire County Council's Inns on the Edge project celebrated the heritage of pubs along the much-loved Lincolnshire Coast.
Project Officer Marc Knighton visited pubs from Boston to Grimsby to uncover their stories and history. He also made a record of their current use and condition. Marc spoke to landlords and locals to encourage them to record their memories of these historic buildings. Pubs are rich in social history that may have never been written down.
You can read about the pubs in Marc's blog on our news feed below.
We asked you to share your memories, stories and photographs. We invited you to comment on posts and on our stories page. We want to know more about why these buildings matter to communities to help preserve them for the future.
Everything shared was read and recorded for posterity.
Thank you to everyone who attended our Pub History Workshops which were held in April 2022 to help communities discover the history of their 'local'.
Engagement has concluded
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The Robin Hood Inn, Boston
I'm fighting fit again and back in Boston after a horrible bout of flu knocked me for six last week. Since my last post, I have been out recording again with my colleague Ian George. We visited the Robin Hood Inn on the High Street to trial the adjustments made to the recording process after my first visit.From the outside, one might be forgiven for thinking this pub isn't very old, judging from the exterior rendering and concrete tiled roof, but think again! The Robin Hood is known to have operated as an inn since 1784 –that’s the year the United States was officially established as an independent nation as history buffs might know.
Originally built with timber rather than brick, the front of the pub still displays signs of this (a girt timber supporting the upper floor joist just about visible from the front and side elevations) and a quick look through the windows of the pub reveal plenty of original fabric inside; timber braces, beams and posts help transport you back in time.
During the 1800s, this Inn would have welcomed customers heading out of town and those arriving from the south along the old road to London. In 1829, the Inn boasted 'excellent stabling for 40 horses' a sign of its former importance as a staging post (the Monarch Coach left for London from the Inn every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 530am). Customers were assured of 'neat wines and foreign spirits at wholesale prices’, the latter a reference to a common brewery built onto the back of the pub.
Many pubs brewed beer and The Robin Hood was no exception. In 1861 the pub and the brewery were in the hands of John Swinn. The brewery must have been an extensive operation (over 300 'sound casks of various sizes' were stored on-site), however, following the landlord's death in 1891, the pub and brewery were put up for sale. This map from 1880 shows the extent of the brewery at the back of the pub, a long narrow rectangular building twice the length of the existing pub and behind the Baptist Church an L-shaped Malthouse, long since demolished. Unfortunately, the pub wasn’t open during our site visit but I hope to return during one of my many visits to Boston in the coming weeks.
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The Robin Hood Inn Boston (Map)
Map of Boston showing the area around The Robin Hood Inn circa 1880 -
Ship Tavern, Boston
My first call, with my colleague Ian Marshman, was the market town of Boston. Clipboards in hand, we braved a windy afternoon to record the Ship Tavern, next to the old Customs House on South Street. Built on the site of the Dominican Friary, the inn was licensed in 1815.The pub is tucked away, behind later buildings with only a small sign advertising its existence from the main road. It is a two storey brick building with attic and slate roof with and hasn't changed much over time.
Over the years, the pub has had an exciting history, serving as an auction house during the early 19th Century for the cargo of wrecked ships. In the 1830s, the pub hosted an anti-corruption society aligned to the Tory ‘Pinks’ who were more liberal in their views. In 1844, a nearby warehouse caught fire, engulfing the pub - although much of the pub survived, including the furniture! More recently, the pub has had strong links to Boston United (the ground is visible from the pub’s front door).
We didn’t get a chance to examine the interior fabric (the pub is currently closed). Still, since this was a trial run, we spent plenty of time battling the elements testing our field recording method and assessing the building’s architectural and historical merits rather than talking to the locals or sampling the quality of the pub’s food or beer.
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Route map
Why are we doing this?
The project is being funded by Historic England and the aim is to help communities explore and celebrate the heritage of their 'local' by creating new trails, resources, and an exhibition. Making more people, both locals and visitors, aware of what the pubs on the Lincolnshire coast have to offer and their heritage.
All of the pubs recorded as part of the project will be added to the Lincolnshire Historic Environment Record (HER). The Historic Environment Record is the record of Lincolnshire's archaeology and historic buildings used by local authorities, developers and researchers to help manage the county's heritage.