“Look who just walked in!”
Just a stroll away, albeit a bit of a hilly one, walkers will encounter the country residence of the British Prime Minister, Chequers. With such important a neighbour, you never know who might pop in for a swift one, as on this occasion when the then PM the Right Honourable Edward Heath called in on his way home.
In fact many Prime Ministers have graced our premises with a visit, it is that kind of pub, everyone feels at home here and can be sure of a warm welcome. The Plough regularly hosts a variety of local celebrities from the world of film, television and the music industry, so we have become quite used to seeing household names over the bar.
The Plough at Cadsden is no stranger to celebrity itself, having appeared in the Midsomer Murders programme, “Down among the Dead Men” part of the long-running series starring John Nettles. In this programme blackmailer Martin Barret, played by Grant Masters, is murdered.
Fortunately, no real murders are associated with The Plough, though there are some other fascinating incidents that have arisen in its long history.
The origin of the name Cadsden is widely disputed, alternative spellings have occurred over time, including Catsden, Cadsdean and Catsdean. Wikipedia suggests that the origin may have been as old as Anglo-Saxon and that it could refer to a “valley frequented by wild cats”. Locally, it is believed to have been due to more recent origins, for it is believed that robbers used the area as a bolthole from which they could attack passing coaches and horsemen travelling the road to London. These highwaymen or footpads, were known locally as “cads”, so it is quite possible that this was the genuine origin.
Finally, we have the case of the mislaid handbag. Who was the mysterious Halina Zaboklicka? Was she actually Zaboklicka Halina? What happened to her and why did she leave her uniform and camera in the old barn?
Could this be a story that could even rival the scripts of Midsomer Murders?
A somewhat grainy image of The Rt Hon Edward Heath Prime Minister, taken during his residence at Chequers (circa 1972). Probably taken by the publican (do you have his name?)