The Anchor Inn - History

The Anchor Inn appears on a map of 1598 when it was Broome Place and the manor house of Broome. The manor goes back much earlier than the map and we can be reasonably sure that the earliest parts of the Anchor Inn date from the 15th Century. In an American museum stands an iron fire-back bearing the date 1586 and historical detective work has shown that it was made especially for this house.
The Anchor Inn has a strange history. For centuries it had been the residence of the privileged classes, but by 1777 and surely earlier it had become the residence of the most underprivileged folk of all - the Paupers. In other words it was a workhouse. It was owned by a charitable trust and run by the Overseers of the Poor. people who could not afford to support themselves financially were lodged here and the expenses for their upkeep were met by a tax levied on the rest of the community.		The Anchor Inn circa 1906. Photograph and text by kind permission of the Hartfield & District History group.
In 1821 there were no less than 54 inmates of the Workhouse. By 1861, although still a Workhouse, it was being run down as such, and in this year was taken over by William Garrett for the purpose of selling beer. In the census of 1891 the building was still referred to as "The Old Workhouse". It was not until 1891 that the present name appears on a public document. By this time Mary Garrett widow of William Garrett's son was the landlady.

Telephone : 01892 770424
Email : info@anchorInnHartfield.co.uk