Old Pubs & Inns of Wollaston

Wollaston's most celebrated pub, with a history stretching back to at least 1787 when it was recorded as Mr Lucy's Hostelry. In the late 1960s and early 1970s it became one of the most remarkable live music venues in Northamptonshire, hosting Rod Stewart and The Faces, Free, U2, The Who, Yes, Status Quo, Edwin Starr, and many others — with John Peel holding a regular Friday night residency. Renamed The Wollaston Inn in 2003, the Nag's Head name was later restored. In summer 2022 it was bought by a local shoemaking family and restored as a community pub. The Nag's Head also features in the Packwood Fire account of 1905 — the bodies of the three victims were carried there for the inquest. The Cradle, the open land opposite, was a well-known village gathering point and bus stop.

Frank Piggott, publican, is recorded at The Boot in the 1939 Register. The Boot appears in Kelly's 1924 as one of the village's established public houses. Its exact position on the High Street has not yet been confirmed.

Harry Lucas was a blacksmith on the High Street who also ran a beer house from his smithy — a common arrangement in Victorian and Edwardian village life. Ivy Walker's memoir records him as a notable local character. The exact location of the smithy has not been confirmed.

The Cuckoo Inn is recorded in the 1939 Register with Gertrude Cluff as licensee. Its street address has not yet been confirmed from available sources. Kelly's 1924 may carry an earlier entry — this is still being checked.