The Plough

click Amenities for more of these

click The Plough licensees for more of them

also click Ishbel MacDonald for the story of Ishbel

Research by Joan West

"The Plow", later "The old Plough", later just "The Plough" was situated at Flowers Bottom, on the road between Lacey Green and Speen. Its first known mention is in the writings of Samuel Pepys in the 1700th century. It continued as a pub and later dining house until 2016 when it was sold and became a private house

1823 ENCLOSURES of PRINCES RISBOROUGH

In the schedule published in 1823, the Old Plow was tenanted from the Manor of Princes Risborough by Thomas Stone, plus the close (field) opposite, which one hundred and thirty years later in the 1950s became the pub car park.

There was a blacksmiths shop attached to it. 

Ted Janes recalls the Plough Inn

“The Old Plow Inn” or “Plough Inn” as it used to be called, the sign today is of the farm plough being pulled by horses, but at one time it was the seven stars of the Great Bear.  Standing in a very beautiful valley of the Chilterns, known as Flowers Bottom, and always regarding itself as part of Speen, but strictly speaking is Lacey Green.   It is known to have been an inn as early as 1610, when Samuel Pepys mentioned it in his diaries.

In 1936 it was really put on the map by a new lady licensee, Miss Ishbel Macdonald. She had acted as hstess to her father, James Ramsey Macdonald, labour

Prime Minister 1923/24 and 1929/31 and the head of the National Government 1931/35.  The national press interest in Ishbel (as we all came to know her) moving from no.10 Downing Street to be the landlady of a country inn was enormous.

She enlarged the premises, removing the old blacksmiths shop from the side and had a great car park made that was to become very full each Saturday and Sunday during the summer months for several years, particularly with coaches.

Teas on the lawn became more profitable than the bar itself.

Just as the curiosity was on the wane and Flowers Bottom was returning to normal, Ishbel married a local unemployed painter and decorator, Norman Ridgley and the press, the cars, the coaches and the hullabaloo started afresh.

 Drink was unfortunately Norman’s problem and although Ishbel bought Speen Farm (Now Home of Rest for Horses) and tried to make a farmer out of him, it was not to be.   After a few short years of acting almost like the village squire in his pony and trap, he died a comparatively young man.

My childhood memories were enriched with the coming of Ishbel to Flowers Bottom and making it such a busy and interesting place to visit, particularly after Chapel on a Sunday.   Her interest in village life and her gaiety in those early dark days of the war were very therapeutic to the R.A.F. Bomber Command boys.

I last saw Ishbel (twice married and widowed) in 1970 in Lossiemouth, Scotland, surrounded by the civic memorials and memories of her father; still the same remarkable eccentric, lovable person.

Ted Janes P.S.

My interest in the inn probably stemmed from the unusual fact that my great, great grandfather and both my grandfathers were at one time licensees.   It was in the Janes family for 56 years.   My maternal grandparents, Mr & Mrs Pocock also had the pub for a couple of years in the early 1920s.

In the popular radio series of the 20s 'In Town Tonight', I can just recall another licensee, Major Pat O'Becket talking about his (at that time) unusual hobby of match box collecting.