The village pub is called The Muddy Duck. It features a traditional pub and beer garden for a relaxing drink and snack whilst also boasting an award winning restaurant.
History
The Muddy Duck is a Grade II listed building dating from the late 17th/early 18th century with 20th and 21st century alterations.
It has been the subject of at least two name changes. It was known as the Maltsers Arms until it was restored by Thomas Whitmore in the early 19th century, who then renamed it after himself. Thomas Whitmore was a member of a Shropshire family, who rented Hethe House during the period 1808 to 1811 from John Harrison, squire of the Shelswell Estate.
The landlord of the Whitmore Arms from 1823 to 1826 was William Blencowe. William owned other properties in Hethe, including the “Off Licence” in Main Street, now known as “The George”. His company, W Blencowe & Co Ltd, later owned many pubs in the area and at least two breweries, including one in Brackley and another in Cannock. Most, if not all, of the company’s property was sold by auction in October 1925. The Cannock brewery was bought by Butlers Ales. The Brackley brewery and Hethe “Off Licence” were bought by Halls Oxford & West Brewery.
The Whitmore Arms
Licensees
1813 John & Mary Dagley – innkeeper – John died 28 December 1817 aged 43
1819 Thomas & Ann (nee Dagley) Petty – innkeeper – married 24 June 1799
1824 William and Mary Blencowe – maltser
1849 William and Ann Morris – publican
1852 Charles Crutchley – victualler
1861 John and Sophia Green – Victualler – in Whitmore Arms; John the son of John a bailiff (buried in St Edmund & St George Church aged 84 in 1841); Sophia born in Brixton, Surrey in 1820; John born Beawick/Berrick (now Berrick Salome?), Oxfordshire in 1823. No children.
1869 to 1876 John Green – publican
1881 John Green – now a widow
1881 John Green (50) & Mary Jane (35) Green (nee Cakebread – schoolmistress)) – publican; married Mary Jane ( a schoolmistress) ; Mary Jane Cakebread born 1846/1851 in Tibford (Sibford?) Gower; in 1851 Mary Jane Cakebread living with grandparents (Cakebread); in 1871 Census Mary Jane is a Schoolmistress – Father William born Tibford Gower (a coachman) buried in Hethe 1917 aged 85- Mother Catherine born Thatcham, Sussex, buried in Hethe 1889 aged 69 while living at Shelswell Lodge.
1883 to 1894 John Green – publican – John (Innkeeper) & Mary Jane (schoolmistress) at Whitmore Arms; John buried in Hethe St Ed & St Geo, aged 62, on 13 December 1894; Sophia buried there on 4 June 1877 aged 62.
1900 Charles & Julia Heydon – licensed victualler – Charles died 7 October 1931 aged 70; Julia died 16 August 1914 aged 47
1903 to 1915 Charles Heydon
1917 Charles & Margaret Heydon
1920 Frederick Pollard
1923 Tom Pollard – licensed victualler – died 30 December 1955 aged 60 in Oxford, buried in St Edmund & St George Church – married Dorothea Chapman 1923 ???
1924 Frederick Pollard
1928 to 1935 Mrs Mary Ann Pollard
1939 Arthur Frederick Omar
1947 Arthur Frederick & Phyllis Ellen Omar – licensee
1967 Cyril Small
1977 Small – Ivy Minnie Small died in 1977 at the Whitmore Arms – in 1945 Cyril Small (aged 37 – engineer) married Ivy Minnie Oncus (aged 32)
