The Malt Shovel Inn

The Malt Shovel in Upper Lambourn, is no longer operating as a pub, however has a long history as one of the Lambourn Valley pubs favoured by those in horse racing.

The Malt Shovel closes as a pub

The closure of the pub and conversion to residential accommodation was not without some heated debate in the village:

30/7/2017 Newbury Today reports:
Upper Lambourn’s ancient Malt Shovel pub is doomed.
Its death knell was sounded at a meeting of West Berkshire Council’s western area planning committee on Wednesday last week, when permission was granted to convert the Grade II-listed building into flats.
The applicant, owner Roger McCabe, had claimed the business was no longer viable and instead wants to convert the property into six flats with a combined total of nine bedrooms.
Local resident Vivian Griffith maintained: “This Malt Shovel is central and vital to Upper Lambourn.
“It really is the heart of the racing community and was run successfully until the present owner bought it.
“I lived opposite for three years and know only too well how very busy and vibrant it was.
“When the present owner bought it, it was excellent at first, but quickly declined through almost wilfully bad management – at times no beer, no food, no chef, no wine; consistently poor service, and then the first application was made to convert it into flats… the Malt Shovel is very much missed.”
Another objector, Robert Balin, told the meeting: “It’s the only focal hub that Upper Lambourn has. Clearly the business was viable before its sale [to the current owner].
“Bad commercial practice shouldn’t be rewarded in this way.”
Mr McCabe’s agent, Chris Parker, told councillors his client was “a man of the people”, and added: “He understands how the community feels.”
But the racing community had moved on and no longer supported the pub, he maintained.
The committee voted five to three in favour of granting planning permission.
John Herring – Newbury News

Reminiscences:

Rachel Carden: My dad grew up next door to this pub, and his family lived there until they died, so occasionally whilst visiting we’d go along with ‘Pop’ (great grandfather) and sit on the sarcen stone wall out the back whilst he brought us a packet of crisps and a glass of Abbey Cola, which was Morlands own cola. Only ever one drink, as Pop was never one to be out of his home for long. Happy days

Marie Fidler: Rachel’s great grandad was my grandad and on a Wednesday evening my dad Clarence Chilvers and I would go so see grandad who lived in Saxon Cottages next to the Malt and in the summer I would go along to the pub with them sitting outside with a drink in a green bottle called Slim Jim and a bag of Smith’s crisps with the blue salt bag inside. As I got older Tommy and Diane Deerie the landlord and landlady would let me play snooker in the back room with Bandy Bob and Bryon. Good times

Shirley Parfitt: Stan and Bernie (Wise) went every Sunday lunchtime also Bill before he died . It was the Sunday ritual . My daddy took them one Sunday when it was too much for them to walk there . He said they definitely put the world to rights ( well in their own world ) and it was a good way to spend a Sunday lunchtime .

Tim Goswell: My uncles Sid Bert and Reg Holmes went there every Sunday evening. Must have been late 60’s early 70’s. My mum and dad went sometimes and left us in the car / beer garden with a packet of crisps and a coke /Lemonade. Happy days

Mick Dowdeswell: I used to go there and play my guitar for singsongs at one time! We lived then at Four Acres, now Near Down, just up the road. Those days were hilarious. Paddy Crotty would play his harmonica and Bartholomew Golding would sing his heart out with ‘Danny Boy’, or, I think, to give it’s proper title, ‘Londonderry Air’. Those really were the days.

Janet Yuill: It was great fun there, as it was in the Red Lion and The Lamb. It was a bit more sedate at one time in The George. When George Day had it, you had to pay extra for your drinks when you went behind a curtain in the right corner of the bar room – that was the ‘Lounge Bar’! It was the exclusive area! There wasn’t much room to swing a cat really. A couple of sofas I think. As you went in the front entrance, it was immediately on the right. Nothing improper went on. George Day would throw you out if you even thought about it! ‘Tweedle’ Rodbourne served there for years.

Publicans at The Malt Shovel (incomplete)

1830 Jacob Hinder
1844 David Dubber
1851 Henry King
1877 Joseph Castle
1891 Benjamin Rogers
1899 Henry Thomas Harris
1907 William Charles Tanner
1924 William Ayres
1931 Perceval W C Wood
???? Tommy and Diane Deerie
???? Peter Rogers
???? George Day