A photograph taken in August 1979 of the Wellington Inn pub in Wolviston, Billingham. The building opposite was the old Parochial School (erected 1836) though a lot of people might know it as the ‘church or village hall’.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
The Wellington started in about 1890. When John Leeman stepped down as landlord in 2007 he was only the 4th landlord in well over a 100 years. John went back to the mid 1970s following a chap called Potts who had it for about 10 years. Before that there was Sam Pinkney who ran the pub for about 40 years. For many years the Wellington was known to the villagers as Sams’s
The original landlord must have put a good shift in as well but I don’t know his name.
I’m just about old enough to remember the forge attached to the pub.
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I frequented the Welly from 1977 (under age drinker) till about 1979, I remember going to the open night when the lounge was opened, remember the cockle man, Big Heck collecting for charity, Salvation Army coming in for collections and in those days the Police visited looking for underage drinkers! Had some great laughs in there without having to get blind drunk like the youth of today do.
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One of the best pubs in the area. Known locally as “the welly”, it offers “nice food, delicious staff”. Allegedly named after the Duke who stopped there when out riding when on his frequent visits to Wynyard Hall to stay with the Londonderry family. The inn had a blacksmiths shop so riders could take refreshment while the horses were “shoed”. The Duke stands on a column in the grounds of the Wynyard Hall gazing fondly towards his favourite pub. And mine!!!
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