The Woolpack Inn stood on the corner of Middleton Main Street and Ashley Road. Locals still refer to this as Woolpack Corner.
Peter Haynes lived with his parents William Roydon Thomas (WRT) ‘Bill’ and Mabel Haynes at the Woolpack when they ran the pub and was actually born, his father proudly told him, on the Billiard Table! Bill and Mabel Haynes ran the pub from the 1950s until 1962.
Peter has kindly sent us a large wooden spoon that was presented as a booby prize to the losing skittles team. There was a local skittles league in which The Woolpack had a team and, one particular year (1958), they were performing poorly so his dad said: “There are two prizes, first and last, if we can’t come first then we’ll have some fun, come last a get the wooden spoon.” This item can now be seen in the village history display cabinet at St Mary Magdalene Church, along with other local items of local interest.
Landlords
In 1854, the Woolpack was being run by Henry Dexter (1854 Post Office Directory) By 1890, he was running the Exeter Arms on Main Street, Middleton.
1870s, Mrs Elizabeth Rayson (1870s Kelly’s Directory)
1890–1903, Joseph Dixie Carter (1890 Kelly’s Directory)
1914, Alfred Adams (1914 Kelly’s Directory)
