The Gamekeepers, BASINGSTOKE AND DEANE, Hampshire

At the time of the 1841 census the building now known as “The Game Keepers” was just a house occupied by Joseph Phillips – a shoemaker, his wife Elizabeth, four children and his brother who was a farm labourer.

Ten years later, the 1851 census describes Joseph Phillips as a shoemaker employing two men.

In the 1861 census Joseph Phillips is described as an inn keeper as well as a shoemaker and the building is referred to as the “Queens Head”. Interestingly, in our dining room at “The Gamekeepers” there are two bricks, one on either side of the fireplace: one is carved “JP 1854” and the other “EP 1854”.

These clearly refer to Joseph Phillips and Elizabeth Phillips and one can infer that 1854 was a significant year – maybe the transition to an inn. Make sure you look for these bricks when you next visit us.

Joseph Phillips died in 1869 at the age of 82 and the building has continued as a public house ever since with the name changing from “The Queens Head” to “The Gamekeepers” in 1973.

Owners Sandra & Philip Costello have been at The Gamekeepers since April 2003, we welcome you all to visit our wonderful country inn and sample our homemade food and local real ales.