On the edge of the little village of Hanbury in Staffordshire, The Cock Inn stands in an elevated position overlooking the Dove Valley with spectacular views towards the Weaver Hills in Staffordshire and the hills of the Derbyshire Dales.
As pubs go, The Cock Inn isn’t old, but it’s a pub with heart, history and a mistaken identity.
When the dump went up on 27 November 1944, The Derby Telegraph reported that “The old Cock Inn was practically demolished, but the tap room remained intact and the landlady began serving with the remaining supplies and glasses as soon as possible. Above, a bed protruded crazily from the wall of a shattered bedroom.”
The dump was RAF Fauld, a store for 44,000 tonnes of explosives, which accidentally detonated causing catastrophic damage to Hanbury village, the Cock Inn and surrounding farms.
But some things never change, and The Cock Inn at Hanbury is still all about people and the community.
It’s about laughing out loud with friends, spending time with family, eating seasonal locally sourced food, hosting your next party and enjoying a quiet drink.
It’s where you can come straight from work, for a special celebration in our restaurant, to chill in our garden with the kids or in muddy boots with muddy paws or muddy hooves.
At first sight, you may think The Cock Inn looks slightly out of place – and you’d be right. When it came to rebuilding The Cock Inn after the Fauld Explosion, the brewery had two building projects underway; one in Hanbury and one in Birmingham; and some bright spark got the plans the wrong way round. So somewhere in Birmingham, there’s a little country pub that should be in Hanbury!
But that doesn’t mean that The Cock Inn isn’t a country pub – it really is a traditional country pub with good ale, good seasonal locally sourced food, a great selection of spirits and a friendly atmosphere.
With a variety of inside and outside space including our relaxed bar, comfortable lounge, stunning restaurant and outside marquee, The Cock Inn at Hanbury is perfect for a quiet drink as well as being a great party venue. We can host corporate events, meetings, wedding receptions, anniversary and birthday parties and wakes.
