When we look around and see some of the beautiful buildings and landmarks disappear from our landscapes it seems acceptable to shed a tear for those things that structured our childhood memories and those of our parents and grandparents. Sometimes, however, and although rare, we get a good news story with an old building getting the TLC it truly deserves instead of being raised to the ground as so often is the case.
One such building is the grade two listed, sixteenth century thatched coaching inn known to many of us as The Elwes Arms in Great Billing. During the horrendous consequential times of lock down the custodians of this lovely place, Steve & Angie Marsh embarked on a journey of restoration and redecoration not only to use the time but prepare for a new era when pubs would become scarcer and peoples attitudes and habits towards hospitality would change forever.
Three years on and we find ourselves outside of this chocolate box pub and the arrival of thatch from the county of Devon and Master Thatcher Jack Challis, although we await to see if rain will stop play. Work will commence week starting 23rd September with a completion date of 4-5 weeks. If you have never managed to see a master thatcher at work its worth a visit to experience this wonderful skill.
This will be only the second time the Elwes Arms has been thatched in the last 100 years and after this latest restorative work it will be restored to its wonderful chocolate box appearance.
It’s timely that West Northants Council have announced that The Elwes Arms has been awarded a place on its list of assets of community value.
Steve and Ange Marsh have been the landlord and landlady for nearly 40 years and have become not only the longest serving land lord and lady in the 400 year history of the pub but the longest in the same pub in the county of Northamptonshire.They continue to operate within there own philosophy “we are primarily a pub serving the community and its wider population that just happens to serve great food.
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