Old Talbot

Old postcard picturing the steps of the Old Talbot beerhouse

Located on High Street in the centre of the town, this was the home of the Maltings in Clun and was also home to a beerhouse, run by the maltster known as the Old Talbot. It has also been referred to as the Malthouse Inn and simply the Talbot Inn on occasion down the years. These days it is a business called the Maltings Café, so still serving the local community and quenching the thirst of many a passer-by, which seems quite apt.

It is one of many listed buildings in the town, and is Grade II listed, dating back to the 1600s with the following description...

House. Late Cl7, remodelled and extended to North in the early C19 with some mid-to-late C20 alterations. Rendered coursed limestone rubble with hipped slate roof. L-plan. 2 storeys and basement. Integral brick end-stack to North and C20 integral lateral Bradstone stack to South. First floor C20 three-light wooden mullioned and transomed leaded window to right; 2 ground floor wooden mullioned and transomed leaded windows flanking C20 Tudor-style boarded door off-centre to right with C20 bracketed hipped graded-slate roofed porch; segmental-headed basement opening to left. West front: 2- window front; glazing bar sashes; central C20 porch with limestone walls, central boarded door with flanking wooden mullioned and transomed windows, and hipped graded stone slate roof. Interior: Cl7 panelled plaster ceiling in ground floor room to South-west: q.v., panelled window- shutters.

Listed landlords at the Old Talbot were George Hamar (1841-), William Luther (1851-81) and Henry Joseph Luther (1881-1935).

1841 Census - Geo(rge) Hamar 'Maltster'

1842 Pigot's Directory George Hamar

George Hamar died in the 1840s and was replaced by William Hamar and his wife Martha. In the preceding 10 years they had been running a public house as well as a maltings in nearby Norbury, which in all probability was the Crown, a 16th Century coaching inn still open to this day.

1841 Census - William & Martha Luther at Norbury

1851 Census - William Luther 'Maltster & Beerseller'

1851 History, Gazetteer & Directory of Shropshire 1851

Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops, & Wales, 1859
(William Luther)

1861 Census - William Luther

Wellington Journal 04 July 1863

Shrewsbury Chronicle 18 October 1867

The below directory lists Thomas Luther as a Maltster in Clun, so it seems that following William's unfortunate accident the year before, his older brother Thomas took over the running of the business until he had recuperated. By 1871, William Luther was again running the business.

1868 Slater's Directory of Glos, Herefs, Mon, Shrops & Wales, 1868

1871 Census - William Luther 'Maltster & Inn-keeper'

Cassey & Co.'s Directory of Shropshire, 1871

1881 Census - William Luther

1891 Kelly's Directory of Shropshire

1891 Census - Henry Joseph Luther 'Maltster & Beer retailer'

1901 Census - Henry J Luther

1911 Census - Henry Joseph Luther

1911 Census Summary Sheet for High Street

1913 Kelly's Directory Henry Luther

Sometime between 1913 and 1921 Henry Joseph Luther retired as a Maltster and presumably as a beer retailer too, but continued to live at the property until his death in 1935, following which the premises were put to alternative use as a retail outlet and later café.

1921 Census - Henry Joseph Luther 'Maltster (Retired)'

1935 Probate Henry Joseph Luther

1939 Register - Walter Bottomley 'Shopkeeper'