Embleton - Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel

Name: Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel

Address: Front Street, Embleton

Postcard c.1910

The Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel was first recorded as a public house in 1828 and was originally called the Fox & Hounds. Local records suggest it was a purpose-built hotel constructed in the early 1800s on the site of a mediaeval Quaker's meeting house. The building was leased from the Earl of Tankerville by a man called Dickinson, who was also the village shoe maker. In 1847 the Fox and Hounds changed its name to the Horse & Hounds and again in 1860 to the Hare & Hounds.

1861 OS Map

The pub was in close proximity to the Embleton whinstone quarry, a short history of which is copied below, with thanks to the Embleton Parish Heritage Trail written by Dr T J Howells. The quarry was intrinsically linked to this pub as it was run for a number of years in the latter half of the 19th century by Thomas Appleby, one of the two quarry owners, his brother Mark Appleby running the nearby Grey's Inn.

Embleton whinstone quarry ceased production in 1961, having been a major source of employment for about 70 men in the area for almost 100 years. Generations of the Appleby family worked the quarry. Thomas moved to Embleton in 1840 as a married

man of twenty and began business as a stone merchant. He subsequently brought his son Tom into the business and opened the quarry in 1864. Another son, Mark, joined the business and they traded as T and M Appleby until late in the century, also

extracting stone from sites in Embleton in the field south of Sunny Brae cottages and opposite both Sunny Brae and the Greys Inn. The land on which the quarry stands was not owned by the Appleby family but was leased from the owners and a royalty paid on

tonnage extracted. The land had been the property of the Tankerville Estates from enclosure in 1730 until it was purchased by Samuel Ayres of Leeds in 1868. It was subsequently sold to Sir Arthur Sutherland in 1919.

Embleton quarry was an early producer of tarmac in this country from just after the end of the First World War until the mid 1950s. By the late 1950s the quarry, having, until this time produced 20,000 to 30,000 tons per annum, became uneconomic to operate because of the increasing overburden (top soil, clay and sandstone) that needed to be removed before the whinstone could be quarried. After all quarrying had ceased and the machinery was disposed of the quarry was purchased by Alnwick District Council and used as a waste disposal site from 1974 to 1984. Since then, nature has reclaimed large areas but attempts to de-gas the waste to make the land suitable for building continue.

In the Nineteenth Century all stone was transported by horse and cart either to Craster Harbour or the main line station at Christon Bank. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century a 30 inch (70cm) gauge horse tramway was built, north of what is now the Greyfield Estate, to link the quarry to Christon Bank station but the horses were soon replaced with steam locomotives. However, because of the considerable amount of handling involved in delivery by rail, this method became uneconomic with the advent of mechanised road transport, and the private rail link was closed in 1932.

The company ran coal-fired Sentinel steam road wagons in the 1920s and 30s but petrol-driven 3 ton Bedford lorries were introduced in the mid 1930s.

Listed landlords at the Inn were John Dickinson (1841-51), Thomas Deveney (1855), Thomas Smith (1861-71), Thomas Appleby (1879-94), John Burke (1900-), Minnie Nicholson (1911-) and John Stanfield (1921-).

1841 Census John Dickinson Shoe Maker

John Dickinson and his family are recorded living in Embleton between 1841 and 1851 at what I can only assume was the Fox & Hounds after leasing the property. Whilst no reference is made to the Inn on either census, when they moved on, John was later seen running the Star Inn next door to the Grey's Inn with his daughter Mary in 1871. The location of the Star Inn was on the site of what is now Stanley Terrace.

1851 John Dickinson Master Shoemaker

1855 Whellan's Directory - Thomas Deveney

In 1855 Thomas Smith, a local man from North Chatton was running the Three Tuns in the village with his wife Jane, but six years later, at the time of the 1861 census they had moved to the Hare & Hounds where they were to remain for around twenty years before the arrival of the Appleby family.

1861 Census Thomas Smith Hare & Hounds

1871 Census Thomas Smith Hare & Hounds

1879 Kelly's Directory - Thomas Appleby (Quarryman & Innkeeper)

1881 Thomas Appleby Stone Merchant Hare & Hounds

ALNWICK PETTY SESSIONS

SEQUEL TO THE EMBLETON FEAST

Wm Hynes (37,) painter, Alnwick was charged with being drunk and quarrelsome and refusing to quit the licensed premises of Thomas Appleby at Embleton. P.C. George Cameron gave evidence of having twice to eject the defendant from the Hare and Hounds at Embleton on the evening of the day in question.

Published: Saturday 09 June 1888

Newspaper: Morpeth Herald

County: Northumberland, England

1891 Thomas Appleby Stone Merchant & Innkeeper

1894 Directory - Thomas Appleby (Inn & Quarry Owner)

SAD DEATH OF MR T. APPLEBY AT EMBLETON

On Monday an inquest was held by Mr C. Percy at the Hare and Hounds Inn, Embleton, on the body of Thomas Appleby, who died there early on the Monday morning.

Published: Saturday 01 September 1894

Newspaper: Alnwick Guardian and County Advertiser

County: Northumberland, England

Thomas Appleby's death in 1894 seemed to be a precursor to the Hare & Hounds being sold, and following refurbishment, reopening as the Dunstanburgh Castle Hotel, first records of such appearing around 1901 when John Burke, who came from Hounslow in Middlesex was the manager. 

The Morpeth Herald 26 January 1901

1901 Census John Burke

Morpeth Herald 25 May 1901

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intel 16 July 1901

1903 saw the departure of John Burke and arrival of the new landlady, Minnie Nicholson, assisted in the business by her younger brother Jacob. She originated from the St John's area of Newcastle. Ten years earlier she had been running the Bay Hotel in Cullercoats, Northumberland.

The Morpeth Herald 13 June 1903

The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle 23 July 1904

1911 Census

1911 Census Minnie Nicholson

At some stage between 1911 and 1921 erstwhile landlady, Minnie Nicholson stepped down and was replaced by John Stansfield, although Minnie is still recorded as living at the Inn at the time of the 1921 census below, though unemployed.

1921 Census John Stanfield

Postcard c.1907