The Haycock Hotel

The Haycock Hotel, formerly The Swan Inn, is a building of group value situated on London Road in Sibson-cum-Stibbington Wansford. Originally a posting house and coaching inn, its core dates to the early 17th century, with a datestone indicating 1632, although this stone is not in its original location. Subsequent additions and alterations occurred in the later 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

The building is constructed of coursed limestone rubble and freestone, with freestone and ashlar dressings, and has collyweston stone slated roofs. It originally comprised an H-plan with cross wings to the north and south, and later 17th-century ranges projecting from the cross wings to partly enclose a rear courtyard. An open-galleried 18th-century addition to the east side of the main range was later infilled. An 18th-century kitchen is located to the south-west, and late 19th-century alterations included blocking a main archway and adding a porch to the west.

The west elevation is symmetrical, with wings each of two bays and a main range of five bays. It features rusticated ashlar ridge stacks and parapet gables with moulded edges, flat copings, and console bracket kneelers. There is a coved plastered eaves cornice, a moulded string course between floors, and a chamfered plinth. The former archway is visible behind the ashlar porch, which has classical details mirroring the late 17th-century mannerist style of a pedimented first-floor window. Windows have moulded stone architraves, flat arches, stone cills, and contain 18th-century twelve-paned hung sashes; some blocked windows include two with imitation glazing bars. Five segmental-headed casement dormer windows are present, covered by a lead roof.

Internally, the original plan and details have been altered, although two fine closed-string oak staircases remain, partially rebuilt with turned balusters. Some original windows are blocked, and two original chimney pieces survive. Building repairs and alterations are documented in the Bedford Estate records for 1828, 1837-8-9.

The inn was formerly The Swan Inn, recorded in 1571. Celia Fiennes wrote of The Swan in her journal in 1698, recounting the story of the haycock. It became a private house in 1887 and, later, a hunting lodge for Wm Cavendish, third Baron Chesham, before reopening as an inn in 1928.