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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
World
Laycie Beck

The charming Notts village with pub visited by famous footballers, Chris Eubank and King Charles

A charming and rural Nottinghamshire village with a picturesque pub attracts visitors from far and wide - and notable names to have visited include famous footballer, champion boxers and even King Charles. Situated in Wysall, on the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire border, family-run pub The Plough dates back to the 17th century and was once used as a courthouse.

A traditional 19th century inn with low ceilings and wooden beams, the outside and the garden is awash with colour. Admired by the locals, it's also proves quite an attraction for outsiders, who, after driving down the A60, find themselves on a narrow, winding lane leading to the village, which has a few hundred residents and little else.

Pub landlady Pearl Edge, who took over The Plough with husband Michael more than 24 years ago, says a number of footballers have visited over the years. Other well-known punters include Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers, who used to manage Liverpool, Celtic and Swansea City before moving to the East Midlands.

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On how she and her husband came to buy the pub, and some of their famous customers over the years, Ms Edge said: "We were on Victoria Market as a trader and then they were on about closing the market so we bought a pub and thought we would retire. It's a very friendly village and it's a very popular pub - a lot of people have been coming in here for years and come from all over the place.

"Jermaine who played for Newcastle lives in the village, he comes over now and then. Brendan Rodgers moved out of the village this year but he's been there a while and some Forest footballers came in here years ago.

"They all used to come here for drinks as they had no problems here and nobody bothered them."

Ms Edge said that former WBO middleweight and super-middleweight champion boxer Chris Eubank has also "been a few times", and added King Charles previously visited decades ago before they took over the pub. "[Then] Prince Charles was here for the Quorn Hunt in 1985," she said.

Owner of The Plough, Pearl Edge and her son, Richard Edge (Laycie Beck)

The family run pub has won multiple awards, including best pub garden, Rushcliffe best food and drink, and Rushcliffe best pub in recent years. Ms Edge continued: "Most of the village come in here on a Friday evening, but we have lost a few characters out of the village recently.

"A lot of people have met their husbands in here. It's funny, everywhere I go everyone knows The Plough in Wysall. It's a proper drinkers' pub. Years ago it was used as a courthouse as there was a murder in the village."

Speaking about what it's like to live and work in the village, Ms Edge's son Richard, who is the pub manager, said: "Wysall is full of very nice people. It's got a really nice community feel to it. Everyone knows everyone and everybody says 'hello'. There's no amenities but that's not a problem, that's the nice thing about it I suppose."

Business owner Kara Triggs, who has lived in the village for more than 20 years after moving to be closer to family, said: "It's closer to my parents and it's in the countryside and a nice village."

When asked her favourite thing about Wysall, the 52-year-old replied: "I think just being in the countryside and the community is lovely. I think it would be nice to have a shop but you just get used to it, and it's great for dog walking."

Mike Stanley, Kath Stanley, Yvonne Morgan and Garreth Morgan at The Plough, Wysall (Laycie Beck)

A group of retired friends at the pub also shared the reasons why they love Wysall. Yvonne Morgan, 59 said: "It's a village with no shops, the amenities are not here but they are really accessible as you've got Loughborough, and you've got Nottingham seven miles away, but you leave all that bustle behind."

Speaking of Wysall, she said: "It's got beautiful walks, and it's a beautiful place to live, we are very lucky. We were away once and then something happened in the village and our daughter was along but we had several people we could have called and one of them actually went to stay with her.

"You wouldn't get that anywhere else." When asked his favourite part of the village Garreth Morgan, 65, said: "It's out in the countryside, it's quiet and rural and there's a beautiful Norman church."

When asked about the lack of local amenities, Garreth said: "I think that's part of the charm, that there's not everything here. There's the pub and the church and that's it, it's a typical English rural setting really."

Retired Mike Stanley, 70, who has lived in the village for more than 30 years, said: "It's a very sociable village really.

"It's also a thankful village, as all of the men that went to serve in the First World War came back." His wife Kath Stanley, 70, added: "There's a really active social scene here as well, because there is nothing on our doorsteps we have to do it all ourselves. We have bingo nights and cinema nights."

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