Now residential “units”, The Hautboy Inn, Ockham was built by William 1st Earl of Lovelace in 1864, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey and owner of Ockham Park. It replaced the old Hautboy and Fiddle Inn at Bridge End, Ockham, which the Earl had acquired in 1833 when the previous owner went bankrupt.
The Hautboy made the news in 1898 when it refused admission to the coffee room of a lady cyclist wearing ‘rational attire’. There was also a brief appearance in “Pit of Darkness”, starring William Franklyn, in ’61.
The mid-70’s were its heydays as a live music venue, with bands performing from the gallery. At this time it was managed by the owners of the Restaurant Ship Hispaniola, berthed on Victoria Embankment, London, with a Mr. Plata as General Manager. Then it had a Spanish bar and an English Pub. January to July ’74 saw Pepe Todoli and his group hold a regular spot playing Spanish music. The venue was reknowned for it’s great atmosphere and great beers, but musicians of any worth could tell you in not uncertain terms what they thought of the slapback from the wall at the far end.
Then sometime in ’76, The Vulgar Brothers played their first gig at the venue. It is also rumored, but as yet unproven, that The Enid played from the gallery. John Sammes recalls playing there almost every Friday in ’77 with Bob Evans, which occasionally featured guest appearances by Rob Jacob of The Volunteers and others.
In the mid-80’s it became a bit of a bikers’ pub with a pair of macaws flying freely inside, but we know Vic Cracknell, who also appeared at the Crown & Cushion, Haslemere, was still playing there in 2006. The Hautboy closed in 2007 and the Grade II listed building converted.
Gallery:
Our Soundscene 