About Us & History

Ron, Sara and the team welcome you to The Davenport Arms

The Davenport Arms dates back to the 18th Century, and was once part of the  Capesthorne Estate.

The picturesque church of St James & St Paul just opposite was built in 1343 and is said to be  the oldest half timber church still in use in Europe.

As hereditary foresters of the King, the Davenports were the game wardens on the King’s Hunting preserves and had the authorized power to put poachers to death without trial. Hence, the crest of the Davenport coat of arms originally was a serf’s head with a rope around its neck, signifying that the Davenports had the power to hang without appeal to the King.

The Head of the Davenport family was chief forester & would send out his master sergeants into the forests of Leek & Macclesfield to look for highwaymen who were then tried and hanged.

In the living room above the pub is a small staged area, where the criminal trials took place and the gibbet is thought to have been suspended from a farm building opposite.

This room was also known as the sweating room where tenants from the Capesthorne estate would have paid their half yearly rent to the bailiffs, they were then allowed downstairs to drink as much as they pleased on that day…. at least there was a silver lining!

The building started its life as a farmhouse, the farmer starting to brew his own beer as a sideline until eventually it became the village hostelry.

The annual Gooseberry Show – one of the oldest in Cheshire is hosted here on the first Saturday in August each year.
In 1978 Marton show gained a listing in the Guinness book of Records as the largest Gooseberry on record was shown here!

Enjoy your visit!