Two hundred years at the centre of the village.

The story so far

1. 01 · Fourteenth century

   A building on the green

   The Plough was built in the fourteenth century on the edge of Great Bentley’s green, one of the largest village greens in England. Low ceilings and many of the original features are still here.

2. 02 · 1825

   Edmund Almond opens a pub

   Edmund Almond opened The Plough as a pub in 1825. It has seen many owners and landlords since, and stayed at the centre of the village throughout.

3. 03 · November 2018

   New owners, a new start

   Dee’s Group took over on 30 November 2018 and began a major refurbishment straight away. In the work that followed, the bar moved to the right-hand end of the room to make more space.

4. 04 · January 2022

   A fresh coat of green

   A smaller refresh: new wallpaper, walls, beams and doors painted green, every seat re-covered, and the pool table, dartboard and fruit machine replaced by a new dining area. The pub reopened two days later with a new range of drinks and a new menu.

5. 05 · September 2022

   The garden and the extension

   The worn old grass made way for decking, a patio, slate and a water feature. Then a plain patio became a covered extension at the back of the pub, with a wall made for photos.

6. 06 · 2024 and 2025

   Best Pub in Essex

   The Plough was named Best Pub in Essex at the Essex Eats Awards two years running, and in 2025 it celebrated two hundred years as a pub.