Ecton Village

The Three Horseshoes

The Three Horseshoes may not be as old as the Worlds End but it too has a fascinating history and a more certain association with another famous figure, Benjamin Franklin, whose Uncle Thomas was the last of the family to work the family forge, which was on this site and is commemorated in the pub's name. Here also was where Thomas and Henry Bagley had their bell foundry.

The forge eventually came into the possession of the Langdell family who, from the three datestones on the building, appear to have completely rebuilt the property between 1757 and 1835. They may also have had a beer house there - certainly by 1847 Mrs Elizabeth Langdell was recorded as having the Horse shoe whilst Thomas Langdell was still working as a blacksmith. In 1925 George Langdell, then very old, found some title deeds dated 1675 and signed by Thomas Franklin (the time he was in partnership with Henry Bagley at the bell foundry). Unfortunately through various ill-advised actions they have all been lost.

After the Langdells it came into the possession of the Ecton Estate and was kept by a succession of tenants. It was sold by Col. Sotheby to Northampton Brewery Company in 1921 to raise money towards death duties and has changed hands a number of times since. For ten years, until 1967, the pub was run by Tom and Joan Richards who still live in the village. The current tenant, Keith Edwards has been behind the bar since 1987.

The Three Horseshoes is important to the social life of the village - there are pub games, men's and women's skittles and darts teams and two crib teams and a quiz on alternate Wednesdays.