Maplebeck

Inside the Beehive

The Beehive has a small bar on one side of its central entrance and an even smaller snug on the other, with a hatch counter and simple benches. It lays claim to being Nottinghamshire's smallest pub.

The building dates from 1803 and was known as the Gate Inn until 1844. The interior has a One Star heritage rating, and the simple decor dates mainly to the 1950s or 1960s; the fireplaces are more recent. Beamed ceilings, benches and a copper-topped counter complete the two-room interior, with cash the only payment option.

Dog Night, Motorcycles and the Garden

Tuesday is dog night, with treats for visiting dogs. During Darren Hayman's Thankful Villages project in 2017, Claudine spoke with him about the pub but declined to have her voice recorded. Hayman reflected on her wish for privacy.

Hayman also recorded a story about a former landlord who let a pig drink the last beer from the barrels. A picture of motorcycle maker George Brough hangs inside, and a front patio overlooks the village street.

Community Life and Country Walks

Turton Memorial Hall gives Maplebeck a gathering place beside the village green. Completed in 2015, its L-shaped building faces a raised courtyard. The architects designed a sprung floor for dance and fitness activities and included a projector for film screenings.

A figure-of-eight walk starts near picnic tables on the Maplebeck–Winkburn road, visits Winkburn and crosses fields back to Maplebeck. A longer circuit starts at Kirklington, follows part of the Robin Hood Way and links Maplebeck, Caunton and Winkburn. Nottsbus On Demand serves both Maplebeck and Winkburn; journeys can be arranged through its app or by phone.

St Radegund's and Maplebeck's Record

St Radegund's Church has 13th-century origins and is one of five English parish churches dedicated to St Radegund. Its oak pulpit and fifteen benches date from the 17th century; the restored communion rail dates from the 18th. The church also contains a reset incised cross slab. In the churchyard, the Ancient Yew Group records a yew measuring 671 cm around its trunk.

Domesday Book lists Maplebeck under three owners and records 17 households across the settlement. The King's specific holding had three freemen and half a ploughland; Gilbert of Ghent's had fourteen households and four ploughlands. Darren Hayman's Thankful Villages project also records Maplebeck among the villages that lost no men in the First World War.

Names in the Churchyard

On a visit described in his 2017 Thankful Villages account, Darren Hayman met Judith in the churchyard as she cleaned gravestones with a toothbrush and compared fading names with church records. On a later visit, she introduced him to Rachel, who had researched Maplebeck's history.