 were overjoyed by local support as they reopened the pub over the Easter Bank holiday weekend. After being closed for over three years, this was a historic moment for a truly historic pub.){kind=link}
From school teachers to the new owners of Chesterfield’s oldest pub the Royal Oak, Meg Hartman and Patrick Hopkins have certainly been on an exciting adventure so far. The new landlords of Ye Royal Oak, located in The Shambles (Chesterfield S40 1PX) were overjoyed by local support as they reopened the pub over the Easter Bank holiday weekend. After being closed for over three years, this was a historic moment for a truly historic pub. The new owners are committed to reviving the pub’s traditional charm while celebrating its long and rich heritage.
Former teachers Meg and Patrick said “It’s been lifelong dream of ours to own a pub so it’s time to retire the marking and the parents evenings for cask ale and long nights!”
Speaking to the local press Meg and Patrick spoke about how they have fallen in love with our town and its people after moving here a few years ago: “It’s such a great town that is really made by the people that live here. We have had such an overwhelmingly lovely response from locals who love the pub and have shared their own stories with us. As the oldest pub in Chesterfield, we are thrilled to add to its layers of history and want to do our best to preserve its heritage”.
The pub reopened on Friday 18th April with a new sign by illustrator, Lucy Hartman and lots of sweat and tears going into the clean-up. With a mission to stay true to the character of the iconic establishment, the refurbishment has been sympathetic. On entering this Grade II listed building, you are given a warm welcome and it really is like stepping back in time. The pub’s interior is of special national historic interest and a remarkable survivor. In 1967 it was due to be demolished as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment but thankfully the plan never came to fruition.
The pub consists of two distinctive parts: the top part is a 16th century half-timbered building and was incorporated into the pub in the mid 19th century. It houses a very small high ceilinged bar with a counter from the 1950s, newer top and fixed seating that looks to date from the 1930s. Visitors should note the small ‘Royal Oak’ stained panels high up in the exterior windows.
The pub located in the heart of the town centre has undergone a remarkable transformation. The bar has been refurbished, the walls painted a lush mustard colour and you can even spot an ornamental suit of armour on display. Layers of paint and grime have been stripped back to reveal the beautiful wood hidden below. Meg and Patrick have embraced the history of this beautiful building, letting the Tudor features and impressive old beams tell the story of the pub’s long heritage. An old Stones Brewery sign was discovered and saved. A wall display of old brewery beer trays catch the eye. The broken windows repaired by an expert who specialises in Church stained glass windows. The pub has truly been restored back to its former glory whilst respecting it’s history. All carried out with love and care.
If you’re peckish you can treat yourself to a delicious Pieminister pie with mash, gravy and peas – Proper pub grub. And, of course we’ve not forgotten the beer – Ye Royal Oak will have a breathtaking selection of ales with 6 keg beers and an amazing 8 cask ales. Yes, you read that correctly, 8 cask ales, making Ye Royal have one of their more extensive selections in Chesterfield. Outstanding breweries like Abbeydale Brewery (Sheffield), Vault City (Edinburgh), Shiny Brewery (Little Eaton), Beartown (Congleton) and Buxton Brewery were represented on the pumps on the opening weekend (Check out Real Ale Finder App for their latest beers).
A solid roster of regular events is also in the pipeline, with a weekly pub quiz running on Tuesday evenings, folk sessions and chess nights all planned. There will also be one-off events such as tap takeovers and meet the brewers. Ye Royal Oak is not only a wonderful pub but a historic landmark. Up there with the Crooked Spire. We urge you to visit Ye Royal Oak and give it the support it deserves.
Shaun Stevenson from the Chesterfield Great Historic Pub Tour reported on The Royal Oak in the Winter 2024 issue of InnSpire magazine:
THE ROYAL OAK is the oldest inn in Chesterfield and one of the oldest in Derbyshire. The brick part of the building dates back to 1684 when it is recorded that a piece of land was sold in order to ‘build an extension to the Royal Oak’. There was a reference to the building being used as an inn in a conveyance report of 1772. At that time it was attached to a butchers shop which is now the top bar, though a previous incarnation of the structure existed as part of a cattle market in the 12th century.
There is reference to the pub being used as a resting place for the Knights Templar, although this is unlikely as this was probably a different building long since demolished.
The timber framed part of the present inn was originally two butchers’ shops, which were owned by the Duke of Devonshire, until they were purchased by the Batteson family, owners of the Royal Oak, in 1844. The shop on the east side was let to Joseph Redfern, landlord of the inn at the time, and the other remained a butcher’s shop. In 1845, the tenant, George Collis, was brutally murdered by his business partner, Jack Platts. His body was chopped up and dragged in a sack and dumped in a cesspit at the rear of the nearby Falcon Inn, on Low Pavements.
It was renovated into its current form after being purchased from the Batteson family by Stones’ Brewery in 1897, where the top bar including the windows are largely untouched since then.