Recently The Orkney News was pleased to published an article by Bernie Bell about the newly reopened Pomona Inn in Finstown.
It’s not the first time the Pomona has had a makeover.
One such example was when The Pomona Inn was offered for sale in 1864 (Orkney Herald Tuesday 29th March 1864). It had been on the market for quite some time as a four bedroomed house.
The POMONA INN and SMALL PARK adjoining, in the thriving village of FINSTOWN, and near the New Road to Rendall and Evie. The premises have a frontage along the Kirkwall and Stromness Road of 170 feet, and are well adapted for an INN, and other business purposes.
There is also a small BUILDING STANCE on the opposite side of the road that can be had along with the above.
Entry may be either immediately or at Whitsunday first.
Apply to Mr DAVID FIRTH, Finstown, or to P.S. HEDDLE, Writer, Kirkwall.
19th Feb 1864.
In the Orkney Herald of 25 January 1871, readers are informed that The Pomona Inn has been ‘thoroughly overhauled and repaired’. It was set to open at the end of January that same year.
In 1898 the licensees were Mrs Sarah Firth (Clouston) of Firthside Cottage Firth, and John Gawan Firth, commercial traveller, Belfast.
The question of a new sewer arose in 1902 which would take effluent from the Pomona Inn premises. Construction of the sewer, pipes of 7 and 6 inches in diameter, and running for a length of 556 yards, to the sea shore at Thickbigging, at a cost of £95 was rejected by the Mainland District Committee. The reason given was that the whole of Finstown was valued at under £250. The committee recommended that ‘Mr W. B. Firth and the proprietors of the Pomona Inn be required to remove the nuisance complained of to the satisfaction of the Medical Officer and Sanitary Inspector’. (Orkney Herald Wednesday 10 September 1902).
The Pomona Inn was also up for sale in 1905.
In 1931, the proprietor was Mrs Mary Clouston (or Heddle). She was licensed to sell Porter, Ale and Beer.
Improvements were made to the Pomona Inn in 1931 when permission was given to build a scullery and servants room at the back. The servants bedroom was then to be converted into a bathroom – when a water supply was introduced into the inn.
The Toddy Hole v The Pomona Inn
Readers might recall from Bernie Bell’s article the mention of the Pomona Inn as ‘The Toddy Hole’. They were actually two buildings.
In 1903 a legal case arose concerning the use of a ‘passageway’ and the building of a wall in a dispute over who had rights to the land. It was established that there were two title deeds: one for the Pomona Inn, and one for The Toddy Hole. The action by Mrs Sarah Firth (Clouston) against John Harvey ( a farmer at Horraldshay) and William Harvey (a postman at the same address) was over a claim to the passageway as belonging to the Pomona Inn. The action eventually failed. (Orkney Herald, Wednesday 12 August 1903).
There had once been, until about 1883, a space between The Toddy Hole and The Pomona Inn of 10 feet two inches. In that same year the Harvey’s mother had erected a hen house in the space against the east gable of the Pomona Cottage. A space, or passageway, was left of 3 feet 10 inches between the hen house and The Toddy Hole. In 1902 the hen house was demolished and the Harvey brothers built a wall where it once stood which continued along from an older boundary wall running up from Grandon. The wall, however, made the passageway narrower, which the brothers said was an innocent mistake, and which they offered to make good. The Harvey brothers were awarded expenses.
There is a note which follows the action, as published in the Orkney Herald of 4th November 1903.
NOTE: This case has been fought keenly and at a cost out of all proportion to the value of the subject matter.
A salutary lesson learned.
Fiona Grahame
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