History

The Holcombe Inn (formerly the Ring O'Roses Country Inn) is a 17th century grade II listed building. It was originally called ‘The Holcombe Inn’, taking its name from the village in which it is situated. Holcombe is an old village, which even has a mention in the Doomsday Book. In 1348 the village had an unwelcome visitor, the Black Death. Nearly all the inhabitants of the village died, those few survivors buried their love ones and fled up the hill where they founded the present village of Holcombe. All that remains of the original village is the old church of St.Andrew.

Some years ago, the original Holcombe Inn took a new name, the Ring O'Roses from the famous old nursery rhyme, which recollects the plague that devastated the original village.

In 2007, after extensive refurbishment, the inn once again returned to be The Holcombe Inn.

Holcombe throughout the ages was known for cottage industries and mining. In 1800 Mr Emmanuel Green established Holcombe brewery, whose beer was famous for it’s delicacy of flavour. Although there are probably many tales about the Holcombe Brewery, one that has stuck is of a fatal accident whereby one of the brewery staff fell into one of the brewing vats and drowned. That particular brew was not wasted!!

The Brewery is perhaps not as remembered as one of its manager’s sons who came to be John Scott, the father of Captain Robert Falcon Scott the famous if somewhat ill-fated Antarctic explorer. He became the last manager of the brewery in 1895, and although they only lived in Holcombe for two years, residing at Holcombe Manor, John Scott and his family were thought of with respect. When John Scott died in 1897 a large number of people from the village attended the funeral. The Scotts are buried at the old churchyard and although Captain Scott is not, his name is inscribed on his family tombstone. Unfortunately the brewery closed not long after John Scott’s death in 1900.