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In 1753, Winster is recorded to have had 24 Alehouses, Inns
(including the Shoulder of Mutton), and Brewhouses. At this time the Shoulder of Mutton provided refreshments to
locals, travellers and hauliers as well as stabling for 16 horses and a blacksmiths. At about this time the rear extension
(now the kitchen) was added to provide a brewhouse. By the mid 1800's the number of Inns had reduced to 7 mainly
due to the supply of potable water but the Shoulder of Mutton was still a major village resource providing a meeting
place for village clubs and groups as well as bear baiting. John Boam added the extension over the garage in 1873 to
form the Club Room. Despite this, business continued to decline and although retaining ownership until 1955 the family
moved to Chesterfield to work in the coal mines.
In 1913, William Heath took on the tenancy. The family still
lives in Winster. The inventory values the contents (furniture, decorations, crockery, cutlery and all stock) at £24
16s 5d. By the outbreak of the Great War, there were just 4 pubs left - The Shoulder of Mutton, The Miners Standard,
The Old Bowling Green and The Crown, now called The Lodge on Main Street. In 1916 the pub closed after the Defence of
the Realm Act was introduced to restrict social drinking during the war.
The building was neglected throughout the 20th
century by a number of owners. The stone roof was replaced by slate in the 1950's but by the early 1980's it
was almost derelict. It was “modernised” by speculative developers in the early 1980's losing many of
it’s original internal features. We acquired it in 2007 and the refurbishment took from October 2008 to July 2010
when we first opened for bed and breakfast.
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