THE Halfway House pub has been standing alongside the railway track close to Skew Bridge since the 1700s and has a surprising past.

Salisbury Journal: Image Claire SainsburyImage Claire Sainsbury (Image: Claire Sainsbury)

Originally known as The Sun, it may also have been called the White Horse, and the Victoria but it is likely that it was renamed the Halfway House in the latter part of the 1700s with the first licence granted to a Thomas Griffin.

Owned now by Claire Sainsbury and her brother Adrian, the pub was leased at first, but they took a chance and purchased it when it was put up for sale in 2019.

Since then, they have been able to make the changes they want. 

Read more: Salisbury's lost pubs - part one

Claire said: “It was a difficult time during the pandemic when we couldn’t have people in, but we used the time wisely to refurbish the pub.

“I remember when we were allowed to have people back for food and we were serving scotch eggs and salads.”

It has now become a thriving business even with the economic difficulties.

Read more: Wilding venue taken over by Immersive Group

Interested in the pubs' history, Claire had heard that at one time it had been used as a mortuary, but this may be related to the time it was used as an inoculation centre for smallpox as the disease had been rife in Salisbury during the 18th century.

Salisbury Journal: Image: NewsquestImage: Newsquest (Image: Annette J Beveridge Newsquest)

The Halfway House is a warm and welcoming pub with a garden, pizza oven and even an under-shelter pool table outside.

The pool table was moved to fit extra tables into the pub when they first started to serve food.

Claire is proud of the Sunday roasts they produce.

Read more: Salisbury's lost pubs - part two

A series of themed nights are already being considered throughout the year and live music and karaoke nights are regularly held.  

For any pub to be viable these days, a strong customer base is important and the Halfway House has established itself as a dog-friendly venue.

Claire said: “Our locals are a mixture of ages. People often bring their dogs with them when they come over. We are a family pub and a dog is a part of the family, so they are welcome.”