Info - History of The George

The George was rebuilt on the site of an old coaching inn which was raised to the ground whilst the Kilsby Railway Tunnel was being built some 170 years ago. The tunnel carries the West Coast Mainline, connecting London and Birmingham. The tunnel is 2,432 yards (2,223 metres) long. Robert Stephenson was the Chief Engineer and his father, George Stephenson was involved in the construction of the tunnel. The George was built using engineering bricks sourced from the tunnel. The navigators from the tunnel “moonlighted” by laying bricks at The George. The tunnel proved to be a huge feat of engineering, due to the quicksand present in the hillside.

The George has remained a public house ever since it opened in the 1840s, and has been sympathetically maintained over the years, retaining much of its original charm. There are some 80 wells in the village of Kilsby, due to the high water table, and one can be found in the corner of our dining room.

Recently, Kilsby has found itself involved with the railways once again, with the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) opening nearby.