KING HAROLD'S HEAD INN HUNT

circa 1918

This remarkable photograph from around 1918 shows the historic "Ye Olde King Harold’s Head" inn at Nazeing Common, Essex, bustling with life as a traditional hunt prepares to set out. Horse-drawn carriages, a lively pack of hounds, and men dressed in hunting attire stand ready outside the rustic inn—once a popular gathering place in rural England.

The building bears painted signage for Chapman's ales, comfortable private apartments, and even a telephone number—“Nazeing 10”—a rare and curious glimpse into early 20th-century communication. Scenes like this speak of a bygone way of life: the camaraderie of the hunt, the centrality of the inn, and a slower, deeply rooted rhythm to rural community life.

If you have old photographs of pubs, village life, or hunting scenes in your family albums, share them on Oldpik.com. Help us build a visual archive of everyday life from the past!

SEO Tags:
vintage Nazeing photos, King Harold’s Head Essex, old English pub hunts, 1918 Essex rural life, historical photographs of England, Epping Forest district history, antique inn photos UK, British countryside tradition, upload old pub photos, early 20th century hunts