Chapel St Leonards (Inns On The Edge) Walk

This walk will take you past a number of pubs including The Vine, The Ship Inn and the Trafalga Inn.

The first Vine Hotel was built in the 19th century. Chapel St Leonards was a small agricultural village with tourism in its infancy. A 1926 advert posted in the Nottingham Journal tells us that The Vine was ‘ideal for restful holidays, splendid sands and natural sea hills.’ In 1928 the Skegness Standard reported the sea air at Chapel St Leonards provided a ‘champagne-like affect’, that left visitors with the desire to ‘walk on air’. In 1936/7 The Vine was rebuilt by Thomas Smith and Sons Ltd, based in Mansfield.

The Griffin Pub - The pub name ‘Griffin’ is synonymous with the mythological creature of the same
name and supposedly the offspring of a lion and eagle. Built during the first half of the 20th century as a modest private residence and surgery rather than a pub, The Griffin is one of the oldest buildings along this section of Sea Road. A 1960s map reveals only a few houses in the immediate area, the pub surrounded mainly by fields.

In the 16th century the village was known as Mumby Chapel and extended out into what is now the sea but in 1570 a storm destroyed almost the whole village including the church. The church you see
today was built in the 18th century with the west tower built in 1901 in the Arts & Craft style.

Originally a beerhouse, The Ship Inn is among the oldest pubs in Chapel St Leonards. Built during the early 19th century as a house or smallholding. In 1888, The Ship was sold to brewers Soulby and Son. In 1897, a full license (six days beer and wine license) was granted to Thomas Short. A 1900 OS Map revealed there was once a long rectangular building behind the pub which would have served as a workshop and garage. As tourism to the coast increased, so did business opportunities. In addition to repairing vehicles, the pub made caravans and supplied bacon and poultry. In the first half of the 20th century, a camping ground was added.

The house on the right, just after point 7, and at the bend was formerly the Hogsthorpe Workhouse. It was built in 1640 to house the local poor and converted to nine cottages in 1831.

Chapel Point Nature Area is managed by Lincolnshire County Council. The pond forms the centre piece of the reserve and is central to the wide variety of wildlife found in the area. Opposite, and sitting high on the sea wall is the North Sea Observatory. Opened in 2018 the building holds information about local history and wildlife as well as a gallery space and a café, Seascape.

The Trafalga was built during the first half of the 20th century as a domestic dwelling.
It is named after the famous British naval victory over the French and Spanish fleets in 1805, with the pub’s name Trafalgar colloquialized with the removal of the ‘r’.

The Admiral Bewbow - Advertised as a ‘small friendly bar with a nautical feel’. The building was originally a public toilet and workers’ hut before being converted in 1997 to a pub. Inside it is fitted out with wood reclaimed from old groynes from Chapel beach. While the building may not be very old, the pub takes its name from Vice Admiral John Benbow, a 17th century Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy, considered the Nelson of his times. Benbow achieved fame in the battles of Beachy Head, Barfleur and La Hogue.