The Arabian Horse, Aberford: Last of Yorkshire village's three coaching inns saved after year-long closure

Aberford, between Wetherby and Leeds, was the half-way point between London and Edinburgh on the old Great North Road, and in the 18th and early 19th centuries, was where horses were changed by stagecoach drivers while passengers took refreshment.

Yet a year ago, the last of the three inns built to serve the coach trade closed when the licensee departed. The Arabian Horse dates back to 1770 and was originally called The Bay Horse. However, its name was changed after a group of the first-ever Arabian stallions to arrive in Britain, where they were to be used for racehorse breeding, were stranded in Aberford due to poor weather during a coach journey. They became local celebrities, with people visiting the village to see them. The pub is the only one in the country to bear the name.

Local residents and were so concerned that The Arabian Horse would follow the fate of The Swan Hotel, which was converted into a private house after its closure in 2017, that they successfully had it listed as an Asset of Community Value by Leeds City Council, paving the way for it to become a community-owned business in future.

The parish council first applied for the designation in 2016, when the landlady was Catherine McCoy. The freehold is owned by the pub company Red Star. Its newly protected status was granted earlier this year.

This month two new landlords took over the leasehold of the18th-century hostelry. Mark and Gemma Hodgson have refurbished The Arabian Horse and enjoyed a busy opening night. They plan to introduce an informal food service in February, but are committed to being a ‘locals’ pub’ without a strong focus on dining.

Its fellow coaching inn, Grade II-listed The Swan Hotel, was built in 1650 and still has the original carriage arch, but is now a five-bedroom home called Swan House.

The third public house, The Royal Oak, has been shut for over a decade and has also been converted for residential use.