HISTORY
THE MITRE INN, SANDFORD ORCAS By Barry Brock The Mitre Inn is a delightful pub in the village of Sandford Orcas, nestling in a steep-sided valley north of Sherborne - if you know it, you’ll love it. But it was in this idyllic setting in 1932 that an unusual boycott took place, as residents spurned their own village pub, then run by Lionel Robins, so that his trade fell away to nothing and he was forced into bankruptcy. How did this happen? What had he done? It began when his son, John, then aged seventeen, courted a local girl who claimed to be only fourteen at the time. One thing led to another and a daughter was born, resulting in the prosecution of John Robins for a serious offence against a girl under the age of sixteen years. The case was heard at the Assizes, but with the girl ill in bed, the prosecution offered no evidence. There was a possibility that the police had been misled about her age, but nothing of that was published in the local newspaper and John Robins was acquitted. When John was subsequently summoned in respect of maintenance, he offered marriage
but this was rejected by the young woman. She said she was afraid of him – he had told her if she ever looked at another man he would murder her. Although innocent at law, John was viewed as guilty in the court of public opinion and so the villagers ceased to drink in The Mitre Inn. Lionel Robins’ trade fell to less than fifteen shillings a week – he was reduced to poverty and forced to leave the inn. The boycott had worked. Built in 1850 and known originally as the New Inn, by 1871 the name had been changed to The Mitre Inn. The mitre was an ecclesiastical heraldic device, appearing in inn names from the 1500s; although the New Inn’s new name was probably chosen with an eye to the nearby Sherborne Abbey. Owned originally by the Down family, the inn passed first to Witcombe Brothers of Limington Brewery and then to Sherborne’s Dorsetshire Brewery, when the Limington Brewery was taken over in 1906. Other than the boycott, little of note happened in the life of The Mitre Inn. Profits of a village pub are seldom large and most
landlords engaged in a little farming or had second occupations. At one time the Dorsetshire Brewery suggested that the tenancy would be suitable for a pensioner. John East replied to that advertisement, and the licence was transferred to him in June 1933. But then, eighteen months later, his wife, Florence, went into the bar to give change to a customer and collapsed and died without speaking. This made headlines in the Western Gazette and was a topic of conversation for years afterwards. John East died only nine months after his wife, aged just 55 years. Owned now by Allen and Cheryl Page, who purchased the freehold in 2014, The Mitre Inn remains the perfect village pub and is never disturbed nowadays by calls for boycotts – quite the reverse.
NATURE SPOT Last month we had our first taste of winter as these early morning hoar frost scenes indicate, they were captured on Ham Hill and the edge of the Somerset Levels by local wildlife photographer Colin Lawrence. The winter months can be a very demanding time for our bird population but we can all do our bit to care for the birds in winter and help them to survive by supplementing their diet and providing safe shelter and clean drinking water. As the temperature drops and natural food becomes less available, this extra feeding support can often be the difference between life and death. All birds stay warm by trapping pockets of air around their bodies. The secret to maintaining these layers of air lies in having clean, dry and flexible feathers. While all birds produce a special
oil from a gland near the base of their tails, some cold-tolerant birds use this oil to weatherproof their feathers. It is both rewarding and fascinating to observe the increase in bird activity once one starts providing a regular supply of bird food. If you’re starting out, a small selection of hanging feeders and a bird table are an obvious choice to begin with. Try to place these in a bird-friendly, sheltered position; close to nearby bushes, shrubs or trees so the birds can use these as a jumping-off point or seek cover if they feel threatened. Your bird table doesn’t need to be architect-designed, a humble 40cm square of plywood with narrow edging should do the job. Offer food such as dried mealworms that are very high in nutrition during the cold months. Birds really do need all their energy when temperatures plummet.
A shallow bird bath is a great addition to your garden, birds need drinking water and they will soon learn that it’s also the place to spruce up their feathers. Your morning coffee will soon become all the more enjoyable and the birds will reward you with regular visits!
The Mitre Inn
Sandford Orcas
Nr Sherborne, DT9 4RU
01963 220271 FREEHOUSE
Allen and Cheryl welcome you with a cosy bar and great food. Wed to Fri - Senior Citizens 2 course lunch £12.95 Sunday Roast - £11.95 Adult, £10.75 OAP and £8.25 children 2 En-suite letting rooms and Shepherds Hut Tuesday 7.00 - 10.00 Wednesday - Saturday 11.30 - 2.30, 7.00 - 11.00 Sunday 12.00 - 3.00
www.mitreinn.co.uk
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