Farndon Parish History Website

Farndon Local History Pages

Farndon Village Buildings - Village Inns and Public Houses

The Greyhound

Now known as The Hare in Farndon

c.1920s The Greyhound
and The Hare

(Roll mouse over image to compare views)

'The Masons Arms will lose its charms,
The Raven it will fly,
We'll turn the Greyhound upside down,
And drink the Nags Head dry'.

The Greyhound

So runs a local rhyme of the nineteenth century, foretelling the fates of the four public houses in the centre of Farndon. The Masons Arms lost its 'charms' and its licence about 1928; the original building of the Raven 'flew', while the Greyhound was entirely destroyed by fire on 12 January 1905.

It is likely that The Greyhound, or the building on the site, had a long history stretching back centuries, initially as a farmhouse with its barns to the rear, while doubling as an alehouse licensed to cater for the needs of the local agricultural labourers. The land behind the Greyhound was the 'Townfield' where village farmers tenanted field strips, an arrangement medieval in origin. Farmers living on the High Street (then known as Bridge Street) had a share in this land. Tenants of the Greyhound were also farming this land well into the late nineteenth century, although by this time the medieval arrangement had been modernised by the enclosure movement. This transition can been seen on the Map of 1735. The plot actually stretched well back behind the main building into what would have been the Townfield.

In 1827, the licence was held by George Dutton, who also owned the pub as well as the land. He died in September 1837 and it was inherited by his son Richard, but as he was too young to run the pub, the licence was granted to Thomas Clarke, shown by the Tithe Award and census of 1841. Clarke held it until the arrival of Thomas Townsend (c.1851) who worked as a joiner, and farmer of the Greyhound land to supplement his income.

He was followed by Abraham Thomas (1874), John Lea (1881) and Matthew Barrow (1891), by which time it was tied to Chester Northgate Brewery, and offered eight letting bedrooms.

Drunken behaviour occurs in every hostelry at some time or another, but it was becoming so bad in Farndon that local asizzes were kept busy. One of the causes was the different licencing laws either side of the England/Wales border higlighted in this particular case;

THE SUNDAY CLOSING ACT

Welshmen Swarm the Cheshire Borders Like Bees
A case illustrating the action of the Welsh Sunday Closing Act was heard at Broxton, Cheshire, on Tuesday, when Mathew Barrow, landlord of The Greyhound, Farndon, was charged with permitting drunkenness on his licensed premises on Sunday, April 19. On that day the police visited The Greyhound and found two men there drunk. One of them, named Smith, had a pint of beer in front of him. It was stated for the prosecution that the police had the greatest difficulty in dealing with drunkenness in Farndon on Sundays, owing to the fact that men had only to cross Farudon Bridge to get out of Wales into England.
The solicitor for the defence said there was absolutely no proof that the men had been served with beer. The trouble at Farndon was a legacy of the Welsh Sunday Closing Act. Welshmen swarmed over like bees, and troubled not only publicans, but everyone in the village. There were 20 or 30 men in the Greyhound, and as the house had to be opened during the time fixed by law, it was impossible to keep drunken men from entering.
The Bench dismissed the case.
Wrexham Evening Express, 27th May 1891

Greyhound Inn, Cheshire Observer, 29 March 1890

There can be no doubt the hostelries today would welcome the trade from their neighbours over the bridge anytime they felt the need to swarm like bees across the border.

The Fire of 1905

In 1905, the Fleet family suffered at the the hands of a devastating fire which destroyed The Greyhound. The Reverend Owen's diaries recorded the events of that dreadful night: 'The tenants, Mrs. Fleet and her children only just escaping, lost everything. The Farndon fire engine refused to work owing to old age, but the Wrexham 'Steamer' saved adjoining houses; had the gale been blowing as it had for some days, half the village would have been burnt'.

Farndon Fire Engine

A Fire Engine was acquired for Farndon in 1868. This was a horse-drawn vehicle with a pump operated manually on a long wooden bar at the rear and which was known to the village people as 'The Old Watering Pot'. When it was required for a fire it was harnessed to a pair of horses borrowed from a local farmer. Captain Edwin Edwards was Brigade Commander for a number of years.

(Right:) The Lock Up showing the double doors used by the fire engine, before modern renovation

After a long period of hard work, this engine needed much repair and new wheels so, in 1896, it was proposed to ask Holt Council to accept part ownership with Farndon. To this they agreed and organised events to raise the necessary money after which it was again put on the road in good condition.

However, the demands of the fire of 1905 clearly revealed the shortcomings and inadequecy when put to the test.

In addition to the Greyhound fire, the engine also attended the serious fire at the home of the Leche family at Carden Hall on 12 September 1912.

The building used for the Fire Station was the Lock-up (dated 1837) and adjoined the 'Mount View' property on the High Street which became the village post office (and even a Catholic church in the 1970s). With the arrival of motor driven Fire Engines at Wrexham and Chester, 'The Old Watering Pot' and its Station were finally sold in 1896 after 28 years' service.

The Lock Up is now a listed building.

The Wrexham Engine

DISASTROUS FARNDON FIRE
The stern warning indirectly conveyed in the jocular description which appeared a few weeks ago, of the despatch of the Farndon Fire Brigade to a fire has been unfortunately disregarded. Events succeed each other so rapidly in this up-to-date village that we have no time to concentrate our energies on any work which may not be required until tomorrow. We argue that as such-a-thing did not happen last week, it will therefore not happen this, and we pride ourselves upon our logic, for we know "summat in Farn."
Moreover, as we are Christian, we do not believe in the Goddess Chance, and certainly did not expect to be served such a mean trick as the one played upon us in the early hours of Thursday morning. Just after four o'clock the alarm was given that the Greyhound Hotel was on fire. The proprietress (Mrs Fleet) was awakened by the smell of burning, and rising hurriedly she awakened the household and summoned the Fire Brigade. The members instantly responded to the call, and had their engine on the scene in a very creditable time. All their efforts were, however, nullified by the fact that the hose was so defective that it would not even carry the water as far as the nozzle. It was like the Irishman's pocket that would not hold money, it was so full of holes, leaks and rents.
Meanwhile, the fire obtained the mastery, and for two hours raged furiously. There was a high wind blowing at the time right through the village, and along the main street there was carried a veritable stream of living fire, threatening to set alight the whole place. Sparks and balls of fire were falling on root and on stack, and the utmost vigilance and activity were required to keep the huge Dutch bays and the inflammable contents (in the centre of the village) from becoming ignited. It was a time of great anxiety, and had the wind veered but a few points nothing could have saved the village from destruction. The Wrexham Fire Brigade arrived just as the next house caught fire, but they speedily diminished the danger, and finally succeeded in completely extinguishing the flames.
Unfortunately, the Greyhound Inn itself is completely gutted, and presents a terrible spectacle. The members of the house lost all their personal belongings, as well as their cherished possessions, while very little furniture was rescued. The origin of the fire is a mystery, and it seems to have obtained a firm hold before it was discovered. To some extent, the loss is covered by insurance. Great sympathy is felt in the village both for Mrs Fleet and her son, more especially as it is felt that had the Farndon engine been in working order their loss would not have been so great. It is to be hoped that something will now be done in the matter. As it stands, the brigade is worse than useless, for it leads people into a false security. The question to first settle is whether there shall be an engine at Farndon or not. If there is not sufficient public spirit in Holt and Farndon to keep the thing in good order, then why not sell the engine and openly admit the failure? We should know how we stood, and those of us who dread a fire could take what steps we might think best. At all events, we should cease to trust what has now become a public danger.

The opinion has been freely expressed in the village that had the engine been in proper working order the Greyhound could have been saved, and that but for the timely arrival of the engine from Wrexham a most terrible and devastating fire would have wrecked the village. The only apparent way to profit by this severe lesson is for the Parish Council to take the whole affair over. There cannot be a single person who would grumble at a rate for such an absolutely necessary object. We have been let off lightly compared with the village in Galway where the engine had been similarly neglected. A fire broke out in the night, and some four or five lives were lost. Perhaps if the inhabitants at a public meeting expressed their desire that the Parish Council would do something, we might make a beginning. Fires, like other misfortunes, do not as a rule come singly, and no time should therefore be lost.

The Chester Courant and Advertiser for North Wales, 18th January 1905

An example of a horse-drawn steam fire engine from the turn of the century.
The water is pumped onto the fire by a double-acting onboard steam engine.
Steam could be raised to working pressure from cold water in 10 minutes, while travelling to the fire.
Coal for the boiler was kept in the bunker below the front axle.

By 1911, the Wrexham station had three horse drawn appliances
(a steam pump, a manual pump and a hose tender)
and two wheeled escapes which were pushed by hand.

The nineteenth century Greyhound Hotel (the whitewashed building on the right).

Completely destroyed by fire in 1905 and thought to be the only photograph in existence

This was a double tragedy for licensee Elizabeth Fleet, as she had lost her husband John Fleet almost a year to the day on 8th January 1904. They had been married since 10 August 1892. Born in Ayr, Scotland, as Elizabeth Doughty, she was a dressmaker and a widow when she met John Fleet, having been married to Thomas Biker, an engine driver, with whom she had two young children in their new home in Farnworth, Bolton.

But now here she was in a village miles away from her own family, a widow for a second time, no husband or business to support her, and with four children, two from each marriage. It must have been devastating standing outside the burning building losing her livelihood, her possessions and any security for the future. At least they had got out alive.

By 1911 however, her fortunes had changed after she married for a third time, to Alfred Belsen, a licensed victualler, as together they were now running the tenancy of the Sun Inn, of Abbot Street, Wrexham. Even her son Walter Leslie Biker had returned to give his support, although he was soon away to war and married in 1915.

Meanwhile, the Greyhound had been rebuilt (the same building which still stands today), and the tenancy had passed to James Molyneux who had relocated with his family from Liverpool.

Their stay was a short one, as by 1914 the landlord was George Edward Chesterman. His tenancy coincided with the outbreak of war and the introduction of emergency measures by the government, under the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA). Powers were wide ranging; in addition to matters of homeland security and programmes to increase industrial and military production, opening hours for pubs were cut, beer was watered down - all designed to improve the work ethic. A 'non-treating order' was even introduced,to discourage patrons from buying rounds for fellow drinkers in an attempt to reduce consumption. The latter was taken very seriously and local watering holes came under scrutiny. So much so, that in Farndon, a couple of policemen working undercover, posed as anglers calling in to the High Street pubs for refreshment after a supposed day on the Dee. As a result of their visit, the licencee of the Greyhound was arrested and brought to court on 25 July 1916, for serving a patron with four bottles of beer for his pals in the back room of the pub. If they had bought them individually no law would have been broken, but the hapless landlord, Mr Chesterman, found himself up before the beak at Broxton Petty Sessions, prosecuted under the Liquor Control Board Order “for selling intoxicating liquor (beer) for consumption on the premises, such beer not being ordered and paid for by the persons so supplied”. The four customers who consumed the beer, all Wrexham men, were alongside him, also charged.

It would seem that the police were monitoring the situation following complaints from local residents. The men were drinking on a Sunday, which was a growing local issue, and even the local vicar had previously gone to court to try to have the licence for the Greyhound revoked, due to the frequent noise and unholy brawling in the High Street. This was often between local lads and men coming from across the bridge from Holt and Wrexham, as Welsh hostelries were banned from opening on Sundays – suggesting the prosecution could well have been a localised issue beyond that of the wartime restrictions. However, the case was dismissed on the grounds of conflicting evidence, but it did reveal – according to the licencee - the difficulties of running a public house in Farndon. This was a regular Sunday in the summer, he told the court, where the pub was packed out - he would be dealing with over 300 customers, plus 50 in the coffee room and a tea room upstairs. There was also a tent at the rear grounds to cater for the overflow. A problem the present incumbents would doubtless relish in these uncertain times.

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An unknown group of revellers, many wearing carnations, meeting outside the new Greyhound Inn c.1910
(could it be re-opening day?)
The hats giving a clear indication of the mixing of social status and occupation

At the end of the war the Greyhound hosted what was probably the most imortant event since the turn of the century, as all the men returning home were given gold medals by the people of the village and to the families of those who would not be returning. this medal was a token of thanks, and has become very rare. In fact, out of around one hundred awarded, only one is still known to exist, owned by David Evans of Holt, which was given to his grandfather, Private 45685 Robert Davies Evans of Crewe Lane, Farndon, born in 1895, who served with the 3rd Cheshire Regiment, and later as Private 64826 in the Machine Gun Corps. A special evening was organised to formally thank the men and to present their pendants, as this news article reveals;

FARNDON’S THANKS TO RETURNED SOLDIERS
PRESENTATION BY MISS J. BARNSTON
“Farndon’s Thanks, 1914-1918” is the inscription on pendants which have been presented to all the men of Farndon who have returned from service in the Army. The pendant is a memento of the debt Farndon owes to those men of the township who in their patriotism volunteered for service with the Army at the time of their Country’s danger. Altogether 98 pendants were presented, eight of which unfortunately being handed to relatives of the following men who made the supreme sacrifice: Herbert Davies, Albert Ince, Harry Ince, William Edge, Lewis Martin, Joseph Jones, John Shaw, and John Gauterin.
The idea of presenting the returned soldiers with some souvenir originated in the time the Peace Celebrations, and it was then decided to solicit subscriptions from the people of Farndon, Crewe, and King’s Marsh for a feast for the returned soldiers, the money over to form the nucleus of funds for the presentation of mementoes. £48 was subscribed and a sub-committee was formed to raise more money in order to give a better memento to each man. By means of whist drives and dances the amount of money was raised to £130. When Major H.Barnston M.P., heard that a presentation was to take place, he said he would like to give all the men a dinner at the time of the presentation. The dinner took place on Boxing Day and a splendid repast was provided by Miss Jones of the Greyhound Hotel, there being between 60 and 70 men present. Those present included Major H. Barnston M.P., and Major P.D. Holt.
Major Barnston said the only toast was that of “The King”, and this was enthusiastically drunk.
Major Holt pointed out that there was another toast to honour and that was to the donor of the dinner (Major Barnston), which he, Major Holt, proposed. This was seconded and carried, all present singing “For he’s a jolly good fellow.”
Subsequently, the pendants were presented by Miss J. Barnston. The pendants were nearly round with a shield on which is inscribed the initials of the recipient, while on the other side “Farndon’s Thanks, 1914- 1918” is inscribed.
Mr J. Pennington, on behalf of the Committee, said they were pleased to see the men back again. Many of them were old pupils of his in the school and they little thought in those days that the time would come when they would have to go and fight for their King and country, and also for their own homes and relatives. The pendants were given as mementoes and not in payment of any sort. Nothing could pay them for the risks and danger they had run. In conclusion, Mr Pennington asked Miss Barnston to present the pendants.
Miss Barnston, who was received with applause, presented the first pendant to her brother, Major H. Barnston, and then to Major P.D. Holt. Afterwards, the relatives of those who had fallen received their pendants, following which came those who served overseas and then those who served at home.On the motion of Mr T. Sergison, chairman of the committee, a vote of thanks was accorded to Miss Barnston, for so graciously presenting the pendants. Miss Barnston, in response, said she was very pleased to make the presentations and very pleased to see the brave lads back again. On the motion of Major Barnston, seconded by Major Holt, a vote of thanks was accorded to the committee for their work. Afterwards there was a social evening with dancing and songs. Altogether the evening was a thoroughly enjoyable one.

Chester Chronicle, , January 1919

Farndon WW1 Medal
(front)

Farndon WW1 Medal
(reverse)

It should be noted that the licensee was no longer Mr Chesterton, but Miss Jones, which was rather unusual given the attitudes by those granting licences. Yet wartime saw great social change regarding the role of women. In the years before the war, women were traditionally confined to domestic roles, either in their own home or in service. In Britain, out of approximately 24 million adult women, around 1.7 million worked in domestic service, 1.4 million in textiles and clothing industries, 500,000 worked in commerce, and 260,000 worked in local and national government, including teaching, all of which were then clearly regarded as ‘women’s work’. But with millions of men now engaged in the conflict, there was a desperate shortage of labour at home in all fields of work, from industry to agriculture to city offices. Consequently, women were increasingly called upon to fill those roles.

From the early stages of the war, thousands of women across the country began to heed the call and took up jobs in munitions factories, offices, aircraft factories, civil service, docklands, tramways, the Post Office and farms, and a variety of other positions traditionally looked upon as ‘men’s work’. One of the largest influxes of women into the workplace was in the transport industry where they took on work as conductresses (and sometimes, as drivers), on buses, trams and underground trains.

Total numbers for the Farndon area are unknown, but unemployment was high, and women had long been discouraged from applying for local jobs which could be taken by a man. Women were already employed on local farms, but it was in jobs such as running the high street pub where attitudes of the local police came to the fore when faced with the prospect of a female licencee. Objections were raised to the licence transfer, dismissing Emily Jones’ references detailing her immediate past, declaring they still didn’t know enough about her,

BROXTON SESSIONS
TUESDAY: Before Mr R. Barbour (in the chair), Lord Arthur Grosvenor and Mr Wooley-Dod.
PROTECTION ORDER Mr W.H.Churton, Chester, applied for a protection order for Emily Jones in respect of the Greyhound Inn, Farndon. Mr Churton stated that his client had had three years’ experience as manageress of the Nag’s Head, Farndon. Applicant, replying to a question from Superintendent Lees, remarked that it was her intention to have a male assistant in the summertime. Mr Churton called several witnesses as to his client’s suitability for the post.
Spt.Lees said he must enter a formal objection to the protection order being granted. First of all, he must point out that these were not the days when they should object to a lady being a licencee. In normal times, the police would consider it necessary to have a male licencee at this house. On February 13th, he received from Mr Churton three testimonials. Those testimonials only showed the character of the lady for the past three years, and, as their worships could see, he wanted to know more about her. Mr Churton had done his best to get the testimonials.
He (the speaker) did not think it would be very sound on his part as a public servant, not to lodge a formal objection. The later testimonials he had received looked good, but he had not had time to go into the matter. It was on the grounds of want of knowledge that he lodged the formal objection.

Mr Churton said he would like to say that they were only there that day for a protection order. The magistrates would only be granting a protection order until the next transfer day – the magistrates decided to grant the protection order.

Cheshire Observer, 3 March 1917

Nevertheless, despite the opposition in some quarters, Miss Emily J. Jones was awarded the licence and continued her tenancy until 1929.

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In 1929 Edward Alexander Loughlin took over the tenancy. Born in Liverpool, Edward was a seafaring man spending many years in the Merchant Navy working as Chief Steward for Booth Line and Blue Funnel. He was also deployed on the convoys during WW1 and was awarded the Mercantile Marine Medal and the British War Medal. Coming ashore he had taken on the tenancy of the Fleece Hotel in 22 Hope Street in the centre of Wrexham with his wife Isabella, before moving to Farndon, with their sons Edward, Leslie Joseph and Colin. Their sons had been well educated, having attended Merchant Taylor's school in Crosby, followed by Grove Grammar School on their move to Wrexham.

(Right) Edward Alexander Loughlin pictured in the rear of the Greyhound in front of the barn c.1931

His time in the village was short as he passed away in 1934, but made quite an impression on his time at the Greyhound, becoming committed to Farndon life and its people.


Greyhound July 1932	Edward and Isobella Loughlin and son July 1932	Edward Loughlin with tug-of-war teams 1932	Isabella Loughlin c.1936

Greyhound July 1932	Greyhound Rowers	Wartime Delivery	Delivery for the Greyhound July 1932

Many thanks to Pat Brookes (nee Loughlin), daughter of Edward Loughlin jr, for the Loughlin family photos and cuttings

The resting place of Edward and Isabella Loughlin, St Chad's Churchyard

Isabella continued to run the Greyhound with the help of her sons Leslie and Edward jnr before she too passed away in 1937. She and husband Edward were laid to rest in the same plot in St Chad's Churchyard.

Leslie with his wife Annie continued with the tenancy while Edward moved to Wrexham to take on the Red Lion in Pen-y-Bryn in the centre of town.

Their younger brother Colin Douglas (known as 'CD') completed his teacher training course at Chester College while living at the Old Bishops's Palace over-looking the Dee, before taking a teaching post in Grosvenor St John's School for Boys opposite the Amphitheatre in 1935. As war approached he trained as a pilot at Speke Airport, probably under sponsorship by the RAFVR which he joined in 1939. He then moved to Ternhill in Shropshire, to complete advanced multi-engined aircraft training. After two further postings to RAF airfields to complete training in Blenheim bombers, he served in the Middle East with No.14 Squadron flying Blemheims, but after a mission on 18 November 1941 he was posted as missing. He was never seen again.

Pilot Officer Colin Douglas Loughlin RAFVR was recorded on the Farndon War Memorial in St Chad's Churchyard and on the Remembrance Plaque in the Memorial Hall.

Pilot Officer Colin Douglas Loughlin RAFVR

1913-1941

The full story of
Pilot Officer Colin Douglas Loughlin RAFVR
can be found on the Farndon War Memorial website

Advert and card c.1935

Greyhound and village from the church tower 1950s

Greyhound and village from the church tower 1950s

After the Loughlins there was steady turnover in tenants;
Miss Meadows, Arthur Birch, Arthur Wilkins, and Peggy and Jimmy Grant (1961-79). The present tenants are Christopher and Wendy Gray, of Gray's Pottery, the Ship, Handbridge, famous for their pottery 'Cheshire Cats'. They have obtained planning permission to convert the old stables at the Greyhound to a pottery.

Despite a facelift and new colour scheme, by 2019, The Greyhound finally closed its doors for the last time under that name, and was put on the market, as this newsreport revealed;

Village meetings were then called for those who were concerned about the future of the Greyhound, following which there were attempts to form a village consortium and to rise the necessary funds to purchase the property.

Greyhound Pub Rescue Group
(page 1)

Greyhound Pub Rescue Group
(page 2)

The Hare at Farndon

Artist image of The Hare at Farndon

Artist image of The Hare at Farndon

The work begins

Refurb plans

Gutting the interior

Gutting the interior

Gutting the interior

Gutting the interior

Gutting the interior

Gutting the interior

Gutting the interior

Gutting the interior

Rear of the building before refurbishment

Laying the new patio

Removal of the front porch

New entrance

New front door

Front renovation

Front renovation

Front patio completed

Completed interior

Completed interior

Completed interior

Completed interior - upstairs meeting room

Ready for customers

Photographs of the refurbishment courtesy of The Hare at Farndon

Full details of the Hare at Farndon for menus, booking etc on their website

The Campaign for Real Ale's online pub guide - featuring The Hare at Farndon

The Cottage

The barn close to the main building has witnessed a variety of uses over the years, but today has been beautifully refurbished as a holiday cottage by the present owners.

Barn and outbuildings prior to conversion

Barn and outbuildings prior to conversion

Barn and outbuildings prior to conversion

The Cottage completed

The cottage is behind the Hare, former outbuildings that have been beautifully restored.

See website for full details

A Chronology of Sources

1735 map
The original Greyhound building clearly in existence in 1735.

Tithe Map 1840 plot
Owned by the Richard Dutton, tenanted by Thomas Clarke, publican

Tithe Map 1840 plot 88

Confirmed by the 1841 Census - Thomas Clarke, publican

1851 Census - Thomas Townsend, Innkeeper

1861 Census - Thomas Townsend, Joiner, Publican, Farmer

1871 Census - Abraham Thomas - Publican

1881 Census - John Lea - Innkeeper

1891 Census - Matthew Barrow, Licenced Pub Victualler

Map of 1897

Map of 1897 Greyhound and plot close-up

1901 Census - John Fleet, Hotel Keeper

1911 Census - James Molyneux, Licensed victualler

click to enlarge

The 1939 Census - Leslie A. Loughlin - Licensed victualler

Researched and compiled by Mike Royden

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