Sunday opening for West Midlands pub after 300 years
An historic pub near Stourbridge in the West Midlands is to open on a Sunday for the first time in 300 years.
The Cat at Enville is believed to have been the only pub in the UK to be banned from opening on the Sabbath, but will now open on Sundays from October 24.
The pub was denied Sunday opening by the local Enville Hall, which owned it in the 18th century. Legend has it that the hall's Lady Gray was returning from church and spotted some estate workers urinating up against the pub wall, and from then on banned Sunday drinking.
The ban was upheld by the Enville and Stalybridge Estate, which currently owns the freehold on the property, until recent discussions with new tenants Guy and Michelle Ayres. "Before I took over the lease I said I was only interested in buying the pub if we could get it to open on Sundays," said Guy. "After a number of discussions with the Enville and Stalybridge Estate we were granted our wish."
The pub will open initially from noon to 6pm on Sundays, with all-day Sunday opening expected to follow next spring. The attached restaurant is already fully booked for the opening Sunday.
Local brewer Enville has produced a limited edition dark mild ale, Catastrophic, to mark the Sunday opening.
Will Constantine-Court, chair- man of Enville brewery, said: "We are a small brewer without any pubs of our own and pubs such as the Cat are very important to us. We wanted the pub to celebrate Sunday opening in the best way we know how."
Guy, who has managed pubs across the country in a 14 year career, said regulars were amazed when he broke the news to them.
"Sunday was regarded as a religious day, and Lady Gray didn't want people working or the worshippers going to the pub after church and drinking on the Sabbath," said Mr Ayres.
The pub is the subject of a Trivial Pursuit question about Sunday opening.
According to local legend, a Sunday tipple at the Cat was even refused to the great WG Grace when he played cricket at Enville Hall cricket ground.
