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Picture source: Barry Taylor

The Old Red Deer pub was built in late 1881 and early 1882 on the corner of Elm road and Stockbridge Road. It was built for John Wakeford who at the time of the 1881 census was the publican at the Roebuck further up the hill on the Stockbridge Road. It appears that the pub land extended to the junction of Stockbridge Road and Western Road. Why John Wakeford decided to buy land and build a pub/hotel so close to the Roebuck where he was publican is unclear. Perhaps he wanted the freehold of the Roebuck but it was not available so he built his own pub or he wanted rooms to rent as well as the pub premises. The new pub was closer to the railway that must have been an attractive source of customers. In 1889 - 1890 the property was extended to include stables accessed from Elm Road. The pub was in use until as a hotel until 1916 when it became just a pub. The pub closed in 1983 and was purchased by Michael Brentnall, a local builder. The pub premises were converted into two business premises . They are now occupied by NFU Mutual and Cartridge Plus.

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