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Date of photo: 2015	© Copyright Jo Turner and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The Ostrich was situated on Ermine Street. This pub was present by 1830 when political writer William Cobbett stayed there and wrote part of his celebrated 'Rural Rides'. Also known as The Spital Inn.
Cromwell House and former Inn, A15 Spital in the Street. The two Grade II Listed buildings appear to have both been part of the coaching Inn. Described by Bill Head in 1837 as built in the 18th century a sketch shows a further now missing building attached to the north labelled as a Post Office. The sketch is marked 'J Keyworth Spital Commercial Inn & Posting House, Coaches to all parts of the Kingdom'. Pevsner also describes the former inn as L-shaped and surprisingly large. Venables in 1889 tells us it was a private dwelling occupied by a farmer and that in the early 19th century the former Swan Inn was called the Spital Inn. Documents sometime after 1574 and in 1598 refer to 'The Swan' on hospital lands. A picture on Wikipedia refers to it as the Ostrich Inn but I can find no further evidence for this name. The listing gives Cromwell House, end on to the road, as 17th century and the adjoining house as early 18th century. It seems reasonable to infer from this that the original Spital Inn was Cromwell House and the adjoining house, along the road, was added later to accommodate the coaching inn requirements. The sparse directory entries list; 1856 ‘Wilson D. W. vict., Spittal Inn’; 1868 ‘Sharp William, New inn’. In 1872 White’s directory states it had ‘within the last few years, a large Inn, called Spittal Inn …. now converted into a private dwelling house’.
Steve Turner (April 2022)
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