History

The earliest surviving licence records in 1753 list Thomas Hill as alehouse keeper. He was survived by his widow Elizabeth, who was followed as licensee by son and then grandson, both called John. 

In 1846 and 1849 Trade Directories, John Hill is listed as the publican of the Black Horse as well as being Blacksmith. For many years it was common for publicans, or innkeepers, to be part-time and have other roles.

Another interesting note in the 1846 Directory is that a sycamore tree was planted on the Village Green on 31 December 1845 to commemorate the coming of age of Lord Guernsey, the son of the Earl of Aylesford who was the Lord of the Manor (but did not live in the parish). It still stands today, with the Black Horse overlooking that village green.

By the 1863 Trade Directory, Asher Hill is listed as the Blacksmith but John Hill remains the innkeeper and is still such when, in 1871, a chestnut tree was planted to commemorate the coming of age of the then Earl of Aylesford, the son of the late Earl of Aylesford for whom the sycamore tree was planted earlier. This tree also still stands today on the village green.

In 1876 and 1877 Trade Directories, Herbert Hill is listed as the publican of the Black Horse, with Asher Hill still as Blacksmith. By 1881 William Hickling was both the Black Horse publican and a wheelwright.

In the 1891 census Arthur Wardle (aged 33) is listed as the Black Horse publican but we know from a newspaper article that he became publican in 1889. He lives at the pub with his wife Rhoda and their 9 surviving children. In the 1911 census, Arthur Wardle is listed as a Lacemaker with his wife Rhoda as the Manageress of the Black Horse. Rhoda died in 1923 and Arthur Wardle remained the publican until the year of his death in 1934.

John Thomas and Ada Whittington, from Bourne, then became the publicans until John’s death in April 1940. Alfred Henson then took over from May 1940 until the freehold of the pub was sold by the local estate in February 1957.

The Black Horse sale details were listed in the Grantham Journal on 25 February 1957 as: “Free house, 6-day licence, 3 licensed rooms, 3 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, small shop, outside toilet, garage and kitchen garden. All mains services”.

The first owner-publicans were Ernest (Ernie) and Ivy (Fanny) Read until Ernest’s death in 1964 and they were followed by Bill and Wyn Gilbert.

In 1978 Herbert (Bert) and Dorothy (Doff) Pooler bought the pub and carried out major renovations. Bert was a keen cricket fan and the pub became well known for the display of cricket memorabilia and visiting cricketeers.

From 1999, Joakim and Sian Gant took over and added a first-floor extension. They were followed in 2006 by Wayne and Amanda Sharpe who further extended the upstairs. Amanda took sole charge from 2010 and sold The Black Horse in 2017 to a local Saxelbye family (Sally, David and Haydn Wakefield). The Black Horse Community Group purchased the pub in May 2023.