Old Whittington
The Revolution House
A tyrant toppled by a cock and a magpie
On a rain-soaked day in 1688, three men on horseback arrived at a small Whittington Moor pub called The Cock and Pynot.
Presenting themselves as a hunting party driven indoors by the inclement weather, they sat at a table, and ordered some ale. But this was no hunting party, and the men had grander ambitions than inebriation. The men were William Cavendish, Earl of Devonshire, Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby, and John D’Arcy, son of the Earl of Holderness. Their objective - revolution! During this meeting, the plot to topple the hated King James II was devised.
In the months that followed, the plot came to fruition. James fled to France, never to return, and his daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, ascended the throne as joint monarchs in what became the Glorious Revolution.
In time Devonshire, and Danby were made dukes, and The Cock and Pynot earned a new title of its own — the Revolution House. Centuries later, the cock and the pynot - the local word for magpie - that adorned the sign of the old Whittington Moor pub itself were rewarded by becoming part of Chesterfield’s coat of arms.
- Address
- High Street, Old Whittington, Chesterfield S41 9JZ
- From the Hospital
- About ten minutes by car, north of the town.
- Admission
- Free, when the house is open.
- Open
- Temporarily closed. Check before you plan your visit.
- When it is open
- The old alehouse rooms, furnished, and a short film about the meeting in 1688. In recent seasons it has opened at weekends and on bank holidays through the summer, 11am to 4pm.
- Telephone
- 01246 345727
- Map
- Google Maps
- Before you go
- chesterfield.gov.uk/revolutionhouse
