41 Local History

Local History

The George Inn and The Wheatsheaf Inn

There has been a George Inn and a Wheatsheaf Inn in the village of Milton for over 200 years. The George Inn is first mentioned in a bill submitted to the parish in 1797. Other parish records show that the choir of St Mary Magdalene Church were paid in beer which was provided on alternate Sundays by the two inns. From the 1813 records we can see that Mrs Elizabeth Dawkins at the George and Mr Clemming at the Wheatsheaf were charging 2 shillings and 6 pence for five pots of beer each Sunday. Both were coaching Inns and were at the very heart of village life in Milton. They were also places that could be used for public business such as parish meetings and in some cases, court hearings.

Before the Magistrates

On 3rd of June 1825 James Read, a smuggler was shot by customs officers during an incident on the beach at Naish when 60 smugglers tried to overpower 6 customs officers. Read was brought up to the village, taken to the poor house at the back of the George Inn and attended by the parish doctor. He later died of his wounds. The coroners court was heard in the Wheatsheaf Inn. The Christchurch Times of Saturday 27th March 1886 reported that the George Inn was used by the coroner to hold an inquest in March 1886 to investigate the death of George Biddulph who had lost his life whilst working on the construction of the railway line from Brockenhurst to Christchurch. Sadly, this was not the only casualty in the construction of the railway line.

George Pub Milton Village C 1900

The original George Inn can be seen in this photograph which was taken from the village green looking across the Lymington Road. This was pulled down in 1905 and rebuilt in redbrick. On the side of the building facing the main road are two bricked up doorways. On the terracotta tiled lintels above the doors can be seen 1905. Looking up at the top of the building the coat of arms of Pool are visible. They are ornately carved in brick. This is because the Inn was owned by Marston Brewery of Poole when it was rebuilt. Anthony and Sheila Carr were the last landlords of the George. They sold up in October 1999, stating that lack of patronage forced their hand. The new owners refurbished the building and inside created small offices. It then became the George Business centre. I am unable to find a record of when the Wheatsheaf Inn first opened for business. But the earlier mentioned 1813 bill for beer provided to the church choir does give some indication that the Inn has been in business for well over 200 years. The current Wheatsheaf Inn is made up of two adjacent buildings consisting of the original and the neighbouring grocers shop. As can be seen in this photograph.

The Wheatsheaf Inn and Grocers shop

From left to right is the Wheatsheaf Inn, the grocers shop, at the time of this photo run by a Mr Chipperfield. Next door is a cobbler’s shop, then the blacksmith’s forge, the blacksmith’s house and the 1905 George Inn.

The grocers store was run from Victorian times through to 1966. The last proprietor of what was then called Milton Stores was a Mr Robinson. When he died the shop was sold to the Wheatsheaf, probably to the brewery and incorporated into the Inn effectively doubling the size. At the rear of the Inn is a building that has been used as a stable block and later a motor garage. It is still in existence. It ceased being used as a vehicle garage when the Wheatsheaf Garage moved to a purpose-built garage site on the other side of Church Lane. That site is now used as a plumber’s supply shop. The car park of the Wheatsheaf was formerly the site of the first post office in Milton. This was in existence from 1834 to about 1950, when the Post Office moved to a new building across the road. The original Post Office was used as an Estate Agents until being pulled down in the mid-1960s. It is probable that from the 18th century through to the 1930s the two Inns would have played a great part in the every day lives of the local residents and workers. They were a place for the workers to relax and unwind after the labours of the day had come to end. They were a place to exchange gossip and find our which employers were hiring and at what rates. This was where dealers and hawkers would have offered items for sale to make a little extra money. They were a centre for welfare. These were prevalent in rural areas where there was less access to the pawn broker that was normally found in towns. Court records tell us of a John Parker of Milton who was steward to the George Inn benefit club in 1825. Pubs or Inns would often run a coal club or a clothing, boot and shoe club. Men would pay into them and when there was enough money to buy in bulk at a discount the club would pay out and the coal or other goods shared out. There was often a ‘Halfpenny Club’ in rural Inns. Typically, these clubs would be paid into by agricultural labourers at 1/2d the first week, then 1d the next and so on in increments of 1/2d. When the collected sum got to an agreed figure, perhaps 28s. 8d then the pay-out would be 28s to everyone and the landlord who organised the club got the 8d difference. It was a way of making sure labourers had some form of savings that did not get frittered away on beer or cider. These two buildings have been at the centre of local Milton village life and are an important part of our local heritage.

Nick Saunders Nick Saunders is a local historian who would be pleased to hear from any reader who has information relating to local history. In addition he would be interested to see any postcards or photographs of our district. Tel: 01425 618549

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