Pub Odyssey 53

Thursday 12 January:  THE WRESTLERS, HATFIELD (Chris Haden, Chris Parkinson, Elvis Pile, Andrew Swift, John Westwood)

COMMENT:  I missed this one, being in the Canary Islands, but those who turned up seemed very happy with the pub.  That's good, because a recent review in the "beer in the evening" site might have given food for thought. The commentator stated "seems drug-free which is rare in south Hatfield".  That's what I call damning with faint praise!

However, even faint praise might have been in short supply in the eighteenth century when the pub was probably founded (it might be older but the first known mention is 1735). It was about as basic as its possible for even a beerhouse to be, having no cellars; the beer was stored in an outhouse covered with earth.  By 1836 it had gone up in the world, having stabling for 12 horses.

The name, the Wrestlers, is a bit unusual (though there are pubs with this name in London and Cambridge apparently) but relates to a sport popular in Britain since the Middle Ages.  John Taylor, the water poet (also poor speller) offered the following thought

"Wrastling is a Manly exercise
A Game Olympick, both for Praise and Prize
But hee that is most Skilfull, Strong or Tall
And wrastles with the wine,
shall surely Fall"