Woolpack Inn, Elstead

The Woolpack Inn is reputed to be an ancient building. It was originally a farm building, and in 1758 the property was sold to the Gaslin family, who were wheel-wrights. It remained in their hands until 1843. The western end was used during this time as a butchers shop. The premises had been taken over in 1843 by Willian Smeed, a common brewer of Godalming. They included a cottage, barn, orchard and one acre of land. There were several changes of ownership until in 1877 Agate, a Horsham corn merchant, purchased the “Woolpack”. It is rumoured that The Woolpack had been the scene of a murder at around this time, and to this day, various owners have reported ‘strange goings on’ at the establishment. The life of the village changed considerably during the 19th Century. The village band was in existence by 1890, practicing in the Club Room, which is now the present dining room. They organised cricket matches and were possibly responsible for the “new Coffee House, open all day” which sold “tea, coffee and cocoa at 1d. per cup, and soup, cake and buns at 1/2d. each, also paper, pen and ink”, as recorded in the Parish Magazine of December 1891. The small room on the end, as well as a butchers shop, had also been a cycle repair shop and then in around 1924, the Co-op. There were three paintings from 1890 preserved in the “Woolpack”. They show the inn much as it is today, except the wing which is now the dining room was a simple lean-to and the brewers were Lascalles Tickner. Sadly, the paintings have now disappeared during the many changes of ownership. (source pub website 2016)