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Three Kings, Hanley Castle

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Church End, Hanley Castle, Hanley Castle, WR8 0BL (View on Google Map)
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Awards

Won 1 award

This venue won an award in 1993.
1993
Pub of the Year

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An unspoilt 15th-century country pub on the village green, near the church, that's on the National Inventory of Historic Interiors. It remains a rare example of a place for conversation over a beer, which has been run by the Roberts family since 1911. There is a small snug with a large inglenook, serving hatch and settle wall. Nell's Lounge, which has another inglenook and plenty of beams, is reached through the side entrance. There's also a small side room with no bar. The three guest ales are often from local breweries and include a stout or porter. Live music Sunday evenings and regular lunchtime sing arounds on Fridays. A popular beer festival is held in November. Events to support Acorns Children's Hospice have raised many thousands of pounds. Cash only.

Historic Interest

Grade II

Information for this venue is provided by the Worcester Branch of CAMRA
Previous Names
Local Authority
Malvern Hills District
Last updated
11/03/2025
Last surveyed
17/02/2025
Leasehold owner
unknown
Freehold owner
unknown
Pub ID
WOR/1815
Asset of Community Value

Three star - A pub interior of outstanding national historic importance

Listed status: II

The present building, with fabric going back to the 16th century and probably with earlier remains, is known to have been a pub in 1841; it has been held by the same family since 1911.

The oldest part, a cruck-framed hall now encased with brick, is on the left where, to the right of the corridor and through a sliding door, you find the gloriously unspoilt public bar. It has a quarry-tiled floor, high-backed settle (doubling as the partition to the corridor), a huge copper-hooded fireplace and a hatch to the servery. Left of the corridor is a little-used smoke room, also with sliding door. The pub's right-hand side houses 'Nell's Lounge', added in 1982 and named after the schoolmistress whose house it was. It retains the range from her former kitchen and, at the front, a high-backed settle and an inglenook fireplace with bread oven. The inn-sign depicts the three biblical kings in all their finery but the idea for the name probably originates from a former family of pub-keepers - in 1710 a Richard Kings (sic) sold a property called the Three Kings (but at a different location). 

General information about historic pub interiors

A pub of two halves which has been in the same family since 1911. The building dates back to the 16th century on the left and consists of a cruck-framed hall, now encased in brick. The front door is approached via a brick path and inside a quarry-tiled passage runs to the rear. On the right through a sliding door is a superb small bar with quarry-tiled floor, a huge stone fireplace taking up most of the one side of the room with a copper firehood added in the mid-1960s. A high-backed settle actually forms the partition wall between the bar and the passage, and there is wall bench and window seating. There is a serving hatch with a 1950s ribbed hardboard front, the handpumps being situated within the servery which has miscellaneous old shelving. In the past, some regular customers were allowed to sit in the servery. To the left of the passage is a little-used bare boarded smoke room with a sliding door. It has a brick fireplace possibly from the 1950s and wall bench seating attached to old dado panelling.

At the end of the passage is a small red brick floor area with an old 'Allen Brothers, Malvern' mirror and continuing to the right you enter Nell's lounge. This is situated in a separate and older timber framed building which was added to the pub in 1982 having been schoolmistress Nell Creese's house until 1979. The rear section was her kitchen and still contains a range fireplace. The front section was Nell's living room and contains a fine stone inglenook fireplace with bread oven and log fire, also a high-backed settle. The bar fittings were added in 1982 when part of the wall between the two bars was removed to link them. Note the ancient Gaskell & Chambers handpump in this area which was still in use until 2011, when it was retired until replacement parts can be found.

The inn-sign depicts the three biblical kings in all their finery but the idea of the name probably originates from a former family of pub-keepers. In 1710 a Richard Kings (sic) sold a property called the Three Kings (but at a different location) for £4 15s (about £520 today). The present building, with fabric going back to the 16th century and probably with earlier remains, is known to have been a pub in 1841.

General information about historic pub interiors
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Saturday
Noon - 3:00pm & 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Sunday
Noon - 3:00pm & 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Monday
Noon - 3:00pm & 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Tuesday
Noon - 3:00pm & 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Wednesday
Noon - 3:00pm & 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Thursday
Noon - 3:00pm & 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Friday
Noon - 3:00pm & 7:00pm - 11:00pm

Current beers

This Pub serves 3 changing beers and 2 regular beers.

Regular and recently seen
Hobsons - Town Crier
Hobsons - Town Crier Premium Golden Ale • 4.5%
Hobsons - Town Crier
Hobsons - Town Crier

Premium Golden Ale

Dispense: Handpump
ABV: 4.5%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
This beer is served regularly.
Butcombe Original
Butcombe - Butcombe Original Session Bitter • 4% Spotted once
Butcombe Original
Butcombe - Butcombe Original

Session Bitter

Dispense: Handpump
ABV: 4%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
This beer is served regularly.
Spotted once
Lister's - Limehouse Porter
Lister's - Limehouse Porter Session Porter • 4.1% Spotted once
Lister's - Limehouse Porter
Lister's - Limehouse Porter

Session Porter

ABV: 4.1%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
Spotted once recently. Last spotted 1 day ago
Hop Shed - Frizzle British IPA
Hop Shed - Frizzle British IPA Premium Golden Ale • 4.5% Spotted twice
Hop Shed - Frizzle British IPA
Hop Shed - Frizzle British IPA

Premium Golden Ale

ABV: 4.5%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
Spotted twice recently. Last spotted 1 week ago
Bude Coastal - Indian Summer
Bude Coastal - Indian Summer New World IPA • 4.7% Spotted twice
Bude Coastal - Indian Summer
Bude Coastal - Indian Summer

New World IPA

ABV: 4.7%
Vegan: No
Gluten Free: No
Spotted twice recently. Last spotted 2 days ago
Changing

Changing beers typically include: Beermats (seasonal) , Beowulf (varies) , Hop Shed (varies)

The venue's range of changing beers regularly includes the following rare beer styles: Porter , Stout


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Facilities
Live Music Live Music
Garden Garden
Family Friendly Family Friendly
Parking Parking
around the village green
Dog Friendly Dog Friendly
Games Games
Real Fire Real Fire
Features
Real Ale Real Ale
Real Heritage Pub Real Heritage Pub
LocAle LocAle
Beer Festival Beer Festival
November
Quiet Quiet
Transport
Close to bus routes (100m)
Astons: 332
Ordnance Survey Reference
Directions
signed off B4211

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