The Greyhound Hotel Sandy

The Greyhound about 1920 [Z1306/99]

The Greyhound Hotel: 103 High Street, Sandy

103 High Street was listed by the former Department of Environment in December 1979 as Grade II, of special interest. The department dated the property to the 17th century. It is a timber-framed building which was refaced and extended in the light red brick common to the area. At the time of the listing this was colour washed but the colour has now been removed. The building comprises two storeys beneath a concrete tile roof. The left hand section is the oldest part of the building.

The deeds to the Greyhound survive in the Green King archive [GK]. The first mention of the Greyhound itself, however, is not until 1865 when two cottages near the Greyhound were conveyed by James William Sutton of Sandy, labourer, to Joseph Sutton of Sandy, publican [GK145/35]. Joseph Sutton is listed as licensee of the Greyhound in 1822 [CLP13].

The deeds are made up of two packets, one running from 1724 to 1810 and the second from 1626 to 1895. The first packet seems to trace the ownership of the dwelling house and collarmaker’s shop which became the Greyhound. In 1724 a cottage in the occupation of  Richard Thomas and some land was conveyed by Joseph and Sarah Knott to William Tilcock for £60 [GK145/1]. Tillcock left the property, called “the house I now dwell in” to his son William in his will of 1751, proved in the following year [GK145/4]. In 1767 Tillcock mortgaged the house to Thomas Woodcock of Potton, butcher, for £20 [GK145/10], releasing his equity of redemption (i. e. giving the property) to Woodcock ten months later for another £50 [GK145/11]. In 1770 Woodcock conveyed some land, a cottage, the house and a “hovel since converted into a collarmaker’s shop” to Thomas Hardy of Sutton for £150 [GK145/12]. In his will of 1786 Hardy left the house and shop to his wife Hannah, then to his “brother” (presumably brother-in-law) Samuel Sutton with a reversion to James Sutton, fourth son of Edward Sutton [GK145/14].

In 1894 Joseph Sutton of Sandy, hotel proprietor conveyed the Greyhound to Parker Danes of Sandy, salesman [GK145/37] and in 1897 Danes leased the Greyhound to Eaton Socon brewer Thomas Joseph Watson for seven years at £225 per annum, Watson sub-letting to the licensee [GK145/52]. Danes had taken out a number of mortgages on the Greyhound and in 1900 two of these conveyed the property to Bedford brewers Newland and Nash for £3,200 [GK145/56]. This followed legal cases against Danes for his debts by a number of creditors between 1888 and 1900 – the papers being preserved in the archive of local solicitors Hooper and Fletcher [HF6/11].

The countywide register of alehouse licences of 1903 reveals that  the nearest licensed house was 144 yards away, that the state of repair of the Greyhound was good and that it had two front and two back doors. In 1924 Newland and Nash was taken over by Biggleswade brewers Wells and Winch, although the conveyance was not effected until 1938 [GK297/2].

The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting the Greyhound [DV1/C147/113] found it owned by Wells and Winch and tenanted by Edward King who paid rent of £36 per annum fixed in 1914 when he became tenant.

The brick and slate detached building comprised a commercial room, a public bar, a saloon bar, a small tap room, a billiard room, a bar parlour, with a cellar beneath, a kitchen, a scullery and a store room. Seven bedrooms lay upstairs and, on a half-landing, a bathroom, a w. c. and a glass covered lounge. Outside lay a w. c. and two small garages.

Unusually, figures for trade and takings were detailed. They show that this was Sandy’s major licensed victualler. Trade was as follows:

• January 1927 – five barrels and twenty dozen bottles of beer; two and a half gallons and twenty four bottles of spirits;
• February 1927 – two barrels and fourteen dozen bottles of beer; two and a half gallons and twelve bottles of spirits;
• March 1927 – four battles and thirteen dozen bottles of beer; half a gallon of spirits and nine bottles of wine;
• April 1927 – four barrels and twenty dozen bottles of beer; one and a half gallons and nine bottles of spirits.

Bar takings, which included tobacco, biscuits and matches were as follows:

• September 1926: £90/18/10;
• October 1926: £87/8/10;
• November 1926: £73/14/10;
• January 1927: £75/17/11;
• February 1927: £68/8/8;
• March 1927: £77/16/5.

The Greyhound was sold in 1956 [PSBW8/2]. The licence was transferred to the Black Horse at Tempsford and the property became a private house. In 2010 the property was renovated although a reminder of its licensed days remains, see below.

The history of 103 High Street are is visible - December 2010

References:

• GK145/1: conveyance: 1724;
• GK145/10: mortgage: 1767;
• GK145/11: conveyance: 1767;
• GK145/12: conveyance: 1770;
• GK145/14: will: 1786;
• CLP13: register of alehouse licenses: 1822-1828;
• GK145/35: conveyance: 1865;
• HF143/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1873;
• HF143/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1874-1877;
• HF143/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1878-1881;
• HF143/4: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1882-1890;
• WB/Fordham4/1/Sandy/LN16: auction sale held at the Greyhound: 1883;
• HF17/4/1: auction sale held at the Greyhound: 1887;
• HF6/11: legal papers: 1888-1900;
• HF17/5/2: auction sale held at the Greyhound: 1891;
• HF143/5: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1891-1900;
• GK145/37: conveyance: 1894;
• GK145/52: lease: 1897;
• GK145/56: conveyance: 1900;
• HF143/6: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1900-1914;
• X451/146: photograph: c. 1900;
• PSBW8/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1903-1915;
• Z50/99/43: photograph: c. 1920;
• GK297/2: conveyed from Newland and Nash to Wells and Winch: 1938;
• PSBW8/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1956-1972.

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1822-1828: James Sutton;
1864-1895: Joseph Sutton;
1895: Frederick Conder;
1895-1898: Robert Henry Cork;
1898-1900: William Fuller;
1900-1901: Albert Smith;
1901-1904: William Henry Randle;
1904-1905: John Lenton;
1905-1910: George Asher Taylor;
1910-1914: Jack Henry King;
1914-1931: Edward King;
1940: R. J. Metherell
1956: Edward Irving Humphreys;
1956-1957: William Harry Brooks
Public house closed 1957

The former Greyhound December 2010