THE BOOT INN   CLICK HERE FOR MAP   Boothsdale Willington Nr Tarporley Cheshire CW6 0NH   01829 751375   The Boot Inn is located close to an area locally known as Little Switzerland, in the Cheshire village of Willington. It is a very interesting pub with a fascinating history which is reproduced here in full from the information kindly supplied by the current licensee, Mr Mike Gollings: " It is possible that THE BOOT originally got its name from the first four letters of Boothsdale. For many years, however, it was known as THE CAT, after a local wag commented that a sign for the Red Lion, which a sign writer was painting in The Boot, looked more like a flaming cat . Another legend says that the poachers on the nearby Willington Hall estate were drinking in The Boot when lookouts warned that the gamekeeper was approaching. The gang hurriedly tossed their booty on the fire and, when questioned, swore it was the body of the inn s cat. The truth of these tales is uncertain but the lane that leads from The Boot is still called Cat Lane. There are said to be two, apparently friendly, ghosts associated with The Boot. John Crawford built the first dwelling house on this site in 1815---most probably the part built of sandstone blocks. His son, George, inherited it on the death of his mother, Elizabeth, in 1853 and it was subsequently bought by Samuel Prescott ( a bag manufacturer from Liverpool ) in 1868, after George defaulted on his mortgage repayments. It appears, however, that George continued to live in the property until he moved to Willington Corner sometime between 1881 & 1891. Thomas Prescott, possibly Samuel s son, then owned the property from 1890-1913, when The Boot was acquired by the brewers, Greenall Whitley. Joseph Lawrensen was recorded in the census of 1848 as running a beer house in Willington, which probably was The Boot. The first licensee under the new licensing laws was John Prescott in 1872, a shoemaker who may or may not have been a relative of Samuell Prescott, and it remained in the Prescott family until 1931, the licence passing to John s wife Martha, then his daughter, Agnes. After this Joe Lloyd took over. A thatcher, basketmaker and raconteur, Joe Lloyd is a well remembered character, who was averse to serving ginger ale with whisky, prone to serving after hours and to giving local girls wicker cradles as wedding presents. Joe, with Fluffy Nichols of Kelsall, also featured in a countryside radio programme which included numerous beeps to obliterate the swear words! Local, long-standing regulars have many interesting stories to tell. An early attempt to promote tourism was made by Joe, who put up a sign for the Cyclists Touring Club ( CTC ) at the roadside, after which the inn became a popular rendezvous for teas, ale and bed and breakfast. ( The penny farthing made of pennies, on the wall today, provides a nostalgic reminder of this time. ) There is a break in Joe s tenancy during the war years, from 1940 to 1945, when a Joseph Swindley had the licence. Over the years the terrace was extended, so that by the end of the 19th Century four or five dwelling houses probably nestled under the same roof. The Boot at that time consisted of a cellar, a pigeon club room, dwelling house and a bar---a trestle table where beer was served from the jug. The gents toilet was outside; the ladies was in the yard behind the peas and mind the nettles ! The quarry tiled floor was laid in 1948 by Wally Lansley. Cartoons of regulars painted by Francis Griffiths ( Griff ), whose brother was head of the Art Dept. at Liverpool University adorned the walls then. Sadly, today only four remain. On Joe s death in 1969 John Walley took over. It was during a discussion on artificial insemination that John said, And how d you like your Mrs to be artificially inseminated? Then you d all be made redundant! When John died the pub was shut for three months. Tim Craig arrived in1976 and, although Graham Nichols held the licence from 1979 to 1981 he was rarely seen, and Tim Craig did not leave until October 1981. It wasn t until Ken Blease came along that the pub was extended into one of the adjoining cottages, and an indoor, ladies toilet was added, the entrance being where the wine rack is today. John Scragg was the local bobby for five years before going into the licence trade and becoming licensee of The Boot in 1984. Around then, expansion into the two remaining cottages, and the addition of the cellar and kitchen extension, made The Boot the size it is today, after which it soon became the place to be seen in Cheshire. In 1988, Jean Jacques Meyer and his wife, Judith, came from running their own successful restaurant down south and continued to serve good food and drink, with JJ being Front of House and Judy cooking in the kitchen. They retired in October 1994 though Judy went to work at Rowton Hall and JJ took a French A Level and teaches French at home in Kelsall. The present licensee is Mike Gollings. " The main lounge is quarry-tiled with a central fireplace. On the right is a dining area at a higher level. On the left is a small room at a higher level and has an old fireplace. This room leads to yet another smaller area which has a stone wall. Old photographs and tankards hanging from the low beams form the decor. In the main lounge there is the penny farthing made of pennies. It is a very hospitable inn, full of charm and has great character and atmosphere.     Food is is served throughout the week, both at lunchtimes and in the evenings.   Outside, there is a large area with picnic tables laid out.   Children are welcome but only during mealtimes.   There are no special evenings.   From Winsford take A54 to Chester, turn left at the traffic lights, at the start of Kelsall bypass. After passing the pub, Th ouse at Top, turn left uphill. Turn left again at a crossroads, and look out for the Boot Inn sign, and turn into Boothsdale and the pub is right in front.