A pub with a story
From village blacksmiths and hop fields to a new chapter with the Evans family, The Three Horseshoes has been part of East Worldham life for generations.
A Look back in time
While the village of East Worldham has roots stretching back to the Domesday Book, The Three Horseshoes has a slightly more recent, but no less colourful, history.
Its story begins with Henry Newman, the village blacksmith, who lived on the corner of Caker Lane and Blanket Street. Around the mid-1800s, Henry built a large house on that very spot. In the 1851 census, he listed his occupation as blacksmith. On the same night, his wife’s niece, Matilda Harris, who was staying in the house, described herself as a bar maid. A small clue, perhaps, that beer was already being served from the Newman home.
By 1855, Henry had made things official. He registered and opened a public house called The Three Horseshoes, while referring to himself as both a blacksmith and shopkeeper. The name still reflects those blacksmithing roots today.
The original bar sat in a front room of the house, next to what is now the main road. The entrance has changed over time, and the old walled garden is now the pub’s front car park, but the building has remained part of village life ever since.
For centuries, Winchester College owned the village and surrounding land, which formed a busy farming community. An old Tithe Map from 1842 shows much of the land was used for pasture and crops, much as it is today. The biggest difference was hops. This prized crop was once grown across the area and continued locally until as recently as 1996.
During hop-picking season, hundreds of seasonal workers would come to the village, camping in tents and makeshift huts on the farms. At the end of each season, the road outside the pub would come alive with a horse fair, a local tradition that has sadly faded into history.
You can still spot signs of the past in the landscape today. Hop kilns remain dotted around the area, including the one that now forms the back wall of our pub garden, while others have been converted into homes.
Over the years, The Three Horseshoes has been run by a number of landlords, each adding something to its story. Thanks to the support of locals and visitors, the pub was awarded a CAMRA Badge of Honour and recognised as an Asset of Community Value.
Then came COVID. Like many businesses, The Three Horseshoes had to close its doors. The pub sat quietly, waiting for a new beginning.
That new chapter began in 2021, when the Evans family saw something special in the tired old building and took the chance to bring it back to life. The doors reopened, the community returned, and The Three Horseshoes began its next chapter.
Today, the pub is once again open, loved and full of life. Whether you are joining us for food, drinks, a stay, a walk in the countryside or simply a warm welcome, you are part of the story too.
Come and see us
Join us for food, drinks, a night away or a special occasion at The Three Horseshoes.