Steeped in history, Castle Inn sits in Church Hill conservation area
A HISTORIC pub has taken on a “beautiful” new look which villagers want to keep.
The front of the Grade II listed Castle Inn at Hurst has been stripped of its rendering, exposing ancient beams and beautiful, old, red bricks.
The new look was revealed thanks to a maintenance project which proved to be a bigger job than expected.
The pub, in a conservation area in Church Hill, goes back to the 16th century or even earlier. Famous visitors include cricketing legend WG Grace and rumour has it — Henry VIII. Punters have also said it is haunted by two spirits.
The pub is owned by Church House Charity. Trustee Sue Payne said: “We were having windows at the front and back repaired.
“At the front the builders had to remove some of the render to do this properly. They discovered the render was loose and it all had to come off there. It looks beautiful with the beams and what we believe are 17th century bricks.
“Dozens of people have commented on it – many want to keep it as it is without the render being replaced. There are a lot of holes which will need filling.
“So far three solutions have been suggested: Using a kind of slurry to protect the bricks but leave them visible, rendering but leaving the beams exposed or re-rendering the whole frontage.
“Our surveyor is coming back with more information about the options. Wokingham Borough Council’s listings officer will also be advising.”
The charity’s income from letting the pub helps pay for maintenance of the nearby St Nicholas Church building dating back to 1084. The charity also helps with outreach projects for the Church of England’s ecclesiastical parish of Hurst. In the past St Nicholas CofE Primary School has received money for equipment.
The Castle Inn has recently reopened for business in its back garden where landlord Matt Brown has built a bar.
Food available includes pizzas from a stone pizza oven. And the bar serves locally brewed beers and ales.
The entrance to the garden is round the outside of the pub, on the right hand side looking at it, along a path by the bowling green.
The pub was historically known as The Church House and The Bunch of Grapes. And an exposed wattle and daub wall can still be seen inside the pub.
