The Stag and Huntsman, lovingly restored by The Estate under the auspices of heritage architect, Ptolemy Dean, maintains the old world charm of a village pub. With a focus towards the local community - Hambleden and the local residents - the myriad of small and cosy drinking and eating spaces within the pub, the nine letting bedrooms and the pretty garden also provide a resting place and watering hole for those who travel further distances to the village.
The refurbishment of this historic pub has maintained the old fashioned charm, while bringing greater comforts to those staying or coming to eat with us. The Public Bar maintains its 'local' charm with a wide and varied selection of up to 8 local ales. The menu is one of pub favourites with a strong emphasis on local and Estate produce and with a large variety of game.
Branch Summer Pub of the Year 2015.
Locally valued therefore listed as an Asset of Community Value.
Historic Interest
Grade 1 listed,former coaching inn dating back to the 1700s
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: Not listed
The main part of the building, with the brick and flint frontage, dates from around 1900 but other sections are older (to the right) and recent (at the back). The tiled entrance passage has old dado panelling, a hatch to the servery, and an unusual hinged 'shutter' on the back of the front door. To the left, the narrow snug has an inter-war canted counter and matchboard dado panelling with attached benches. Similar panelling is in the public bar beyond, along with a parquet floor and Edwardian fireplace (but the counter looks post-war). These two formerly separate rooms were linked as part of a refurbishment in 2012. At the rear are two rooms, now joined together, which probably came into pub use between the wars.
The two-storey brick and flint frontage part that forms the majority of the pub is from c.1900 but the right-hand part of the building of single-storey with attics is much older and it is only this small part that is statutory listed along with the row of cottages. There used to be an off-sales which was accessed from a central front door but is now incorporated into the public bar. The pub was subject to an expansion and refurbishment in around 2012.
From the front door there is a passage with red, black and cream tiled floor with most laid diagonally. The old dado panelling is painted a dull green colour and the door to the servery has a shelf and hatch. Note the unusual hinged wooden ‘shutter’ that can cover the door from the inside with a hole for the knob.
On the left is the narrow front snug with an interwar canted bar counter recently painted a dull green colour, some of the bar shelving may be old, old match-board dado panelling with benches attached. On the left with an entrance on the side of the building is the small public bar with a parquet floor, a wood surround, tiled & cast iron fireplace that dates back to c.1900, old match-board dado panelling but the quarter circle bar counter looks post-war. The two bars were separate but linked together in c.2012 and the snug now acts as more of a passage to reach the public bar rather than a separate room to drink in.
At the rear are two rooms probably brought into pub use in the interwar years as both have 1930s brick fireplaces The one on the right has interwar dado panelling but the bar counter is a recent replacement and a fielded panelled screen in this room has been removed. The rear left room has a quarter circle counter, now used as a reception and all wooden surfaces in both rooms have been painted a dull green colour. The extension at the rear houses new toilets to replace the outside ones.
There is a room on the right of the passage that was originally two rooms of the cottage. It has some carpets on a bare wood floor, an old wood surround painted dull green and brick fireplace (not used) and a post-war brick fireplace with a stove fire in the rear part.
This Pub serves 3 changing beers and 0 regular beers.
Stag & Huntsman, Hambleden