Masons Arms
This listed building currently has an ashlar
chimney on each gable, but until the 1950s was approximately
three metres longer – to the south – where a further chimney was
located on the ridge. Until this time the property had a thatched
roof.
To the north end is an arch through to the Reading Room and Walnut Tree Close beyond. Despite the impression the roof of the neighbouring property gives to the room over the arch on the road side of the premises, this room is actually part of the former public house.
The property is widely recorded as the
Masons Arms in the 1800s and the (English Heritage) Listing
records the property as being known as the Forrester’s Arms some
time earlier.
Early newspaper reports refer to a Woodford location of “At the sign of a Cleaver”, which most possibly refers to this property when it was known as the Forester’s Arms – a cleaver being a type of hatchet.
The Mason’s Arms was also the “home” of one of Woodford’s Friendly Societies
The landlord on the 1871 census was Alfred
Corbett who was also a carpenter. By 1874 Whellen’s Directory
refers to John and Elizabeth Fletcher running a grocers shop and
Woodford Post Office. Cyril Wilson, in his memoirs recalls how his
father, William Wilson, was paid 1/6 per week to deliver the
mail. He recalls that following John Fletcher’s death Mrs
Fletcher continued to run the Post Office, however, once the mail
arrived each day from Thrapston, the shop was closed until the
mail was sorted. Following Mrs Fletcher’s death in 1899, the Post
Office moved to the opposite side of Addington Road to thatched
premises (later demolished and replaced with a row of four brick
faced terraced houses).
The property became residential from this point in time and was occupied by Beeby’s builders and more latterly Mr G R Smith (Scrap Metal Dealer). Older villagers will remembers the green "Pink and Jones" Removal Van which was parked to the rear of the property for a number of years
2 December 1815 Northampton Mercury
All that freehold Public House or Inn known by the sign of the Cleaver, situate at Woodford, near Thrapston, in the said County of Northampton, with convenient Brewhouse, Stable, and other necessary outbuildings, yard and garden, never-failing Spring of excellent Water with a good lead pump, now or late in the occupation of the said John Eaton