Landlords mark milestone 10 years at historic pub
The small garage... that’s big on service
It’s had 34 landlords, boasts 500 years of history and – despite the smoking ban – The Ringlestone Inn is still going strong.
Taking their place in the record books for 10 of those years are Kevin de Young and Christina Warren, who have been at the helm since 2006.
The landlords celebrated their 10th anniversary on Saturday with a typically busy evening and a few free drinks for their regulars.
It was built in 1533, the year of Elizabeth I’s birth, and has links to beer dating back to 1609 when Charlotte Hepplewhite, the daughter of a barrel maker, began selling ale to make money after her father died. It became a fully fledged pub in 1615.
Landlords came and went and many stick in regulars’ minds, not least Ma Gaskin who became well known in the 1960s for getting a shotgun out to drive away unsavoury clientele.
Mr de Young said: “It’s a really nice, quaint little pub. It’s very traditional and attracts a lot of tourists from America and Aus- tralia. It’s older than their countries!
“We’ve been hit hard by the smoking ban and the recession but due to sheer stubbornness we’re still going strong and still struggle to find tables for everyone on Saturday nights.”
He added over the years the pub has changed a lot and now predominantly relies on its menu but still serves some quality beer and fruit wine from Devon which is particularly popular.
The 55-year-old, who runs the pub alongside his partner Christina, their barn owl Bing Bing and their bulldog Ernie, urges anyone who wants to learn more about the pub’s fascinating past and enjoy some quality food to pop in to the Ringlestone Road venue.