The youngest of the village pubs, dating from 1842, the Cock is perhaps the last remaining pub which could be described as a true village ‘local’: a meeting place for villagers. It was formerly a Phipps and Co. pub, sold to Watney Mann when they took over the Northampton Brewery complex (now Carlsberg Tetley).

 

The landlords have often been characters and have always supported village organisations.Frank Novak was landlord during the 1970s and well known for keeping late hours. A favourite game was played in the rear bar late at night along the spirits shelf. One to choose the bottle, the next one to pay and the next one to drink it! This went on till the early hours of the morning! Frank, who was of German origin, would always talk about a neighbouring pub as ‘der Vite Line at Vicken’.

 

There used to be a wooden screen between parts of the front bar, but one night two brothers argued over a game of cards and proceeded to take it apart to hit each other with. When the police arrived they passed the pair walking home with their arms around each other’s shoulders.