Plans to turn waterways pub with colourful history into a house

The Black Horse Inn occupies a thin sliver of land that divides the Dutch River and the Aire and Calder canal.

"It developed after the opening of the Aire and Calder canal - it officially opened in 1826," said local historian Roy Dresser.

"It was probably an alehouse and it would have served the brickworks and various industries like the paper mill and some little industrial cottages that have now disappeared.

"There were berths for barges all the way round."

It appears in the 1851 census, when it was being run by Thomas Coates, an innkeeper and farmer.

Judging from various maps dating from that time the structure of the building seems to be more or less the same as it is today.

Inquests were carried out at the pub in the 1890s and in December 1944 the local Home Guard had a farewell dinner there.

But its future may be as a home, after a planning application was submitted to East Riding Council to convert the building and erect a 2.4m high fence.

Mr Dresser said the pub had been hit by the year-long closure of the bridge over the Dutch River. “It was picking up but unfortunately the pandemic absolutely floored it,” he added.

Parish councillor Simon Harris said the pub had struggled in the past decade, adding: “A lot of people have tried, but it’s too isolated and it would need considerable investment.

“It’s a pity and a lot of people will miss it. In its heyday it was pretty well known, but that’s a long time ago now.”

Mr Harris, a member of the Campaign for Real Ale, said it was an "absolute shame" that pubs were under such a lot of pressure "but the reality is there just isn't the business".

When Mr Harris first came to the village there were nine pubs, but now just five.

But there are still two hostelries within walking distance, the Rawcliffe Bridge Hotel and the Paper Mill Club.