A Brief History
The Talbot Inn restaurant and bar is situated in the centre of
Mapplewell village beside the main road. The Inn itself dates from
1776, and was completely renovated and re-opened in July 1978. The
renovation exposed original oak beams and stone walls which display

the Talbot’s past heritage.
Over the years there has been speculation amongst the locals regarding
the origin of the name “The Talbot”. Talbot is the name of an extinct
breed of dog, an antique automobile and a family originating from the
Middle Ages. And they all have something to do with each other.

Extinct Breed of Dog
The Talbot is considered to have been a spotted, white or liver-coloured
variety of the St. Hubert Hound, originating from crossbreeding
with other hounds, possibly French hounds. William the Conqueror
used the Talbot – mostly white coloured – for deer hunting. Later, the
English used him for fox hunting; they admit that the Talbot’s nose was
excellent, but that he lacked speed.

Earl of Shrewsbury
The ancestors of the Earls of Shrewsbury, whose family name is Talbot,
can be traced to the Middle Ages. Originally the Talbot family came from
Normandy, a link with William the Conqueror. In the 16th century, the
Lords of the Manor of Sheffield were the Earls of Shrewsbury and George
Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury lived at
Sheffield Castle and at the ManorLodge.

In Sheffield Cathedral there is a monument to George Talbot, 6th Earl of
Shrewsbury (d 1590). An armour-clad effigy resting on a straw mat, his
feet resting on a Talbot dog.
The relation between the family name and the dog absolutely existed
– for years the Earls of Shrewsbury had a dog in their coat of arms.
Without any doubt, this dog resembles the Talbot. But, the question is:
which came first? Is the Talbot named after the family or has the family
name and the coat of arms derived from the dog?

Antique Automobile
But what about the old English automobile, also named Talbot? The
first Talbot motor car left the factory in 1904. On the bonnet was a small
model of a dog with long ears. It derived from the family name and coat
of arms of the owner of the car factory - the Earl of Shrewsbury.
In 1913 Percy Lambert was the first person to reach 100mph in a car – a
25 horse-powered Talbot “The Talbot” - is a popular name for a pub or
inn in England; one of the reasons may be that Talbots used to run - like
the Dalmatians - behind or next to the carriages,
travelling from one innto the other.

Along with “Albert” the resident ghost, The Talbot is owned and run by
the same family since 1984 and has built a reputation, along with its big
brother the Foxhouse Inn, Holmfirth, for good home cooked food using
only fresh local produce when possible from the farms and markets that
surround both of the Inns.

Our Big Brother - The Foxhouse Inn

Situated on the outskirts of Penistone Holmfirth
www.thefoxhouseinn.co.uk