Book Online for Father's Day Today!
Book Online for Father's Day Today!
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Open Today: 7:00am - 11:00pm
The exterior facade hero banner for The Blue Cap.

About the Blue Cap, Sandiway

 
Our pub and the settlements around it are steeped in years of history, which we pride ourselves on in everything we do. From our menu to our staff and our decor to our location, we really do believe that we are the best country pub in Cheshire. We bring the wonder of the Great British countryside right to you by finding delight in the details and providing an elevated experience you won't forget. Explore our story, from Sandiway's beginnings as a settlement situated on a deep plateau of sand left by retreating glaciers back in the Palaeolithic era, through to the early days of the Blue Cap, back when it was called the Sandiway Head Inn, and into the Blue Cap as a pub in Sandiway in the modern day.
The exterior facade of The Blue Cap.

A step back to the past

Sandiway and Cuddington are situated on a deep plateau of sand, which contributes to the rolling countryside around our pub. In some places, the sand was found to be at least 60 feet deep and the one road in the area was covered by sand — owing to the name of our lovely village, Sandiway.
 
Back in 1716, when the Blue Cap was named the Sandiway Head Inn, the road outside of our pub was narrow and rugged. To get some reprieve from the bumpy coach journey, travellers liked to stop off at our pub, which was then a coaching inn, before continuing on to Chester, Manchester, or further afield. Patrons would be welcomed by our pub, with its oil lamps, billowing smoke from the fires and leaded glass windows.
 
It is alleged that General George Patton of the United States of America frequented the Blue Cap for a drink after visiting his soldiers stationed at Delamere Park during World War II.

The interior decor focusing on a dog statue featured on the signage at The Blue Cap.

Blue Cap — once a dog, now a pub

Our name was amended to the Blue Cap in 1822, under Elizabeth Bull, the landlady at the time. At the time, most pubs in the area were named after horses, making the Blue Cap unique as an establishment named for a dog. The name is a tribute to Blue Cap, the famous Sandiway foxhound owned by the Honourable John Smith-Barry, the First Master of the Cheshire Foxhounds. But, why, is Blue Cap famous? Well, in 1763, when Blue Cap was just four years old, Smith-Barry told Hugo Meynell (the Master of the Quorn Hunt) that Meynell had no dogs capable of beating Blue Cap over a four-mile race. Of course, the challenge was accepted by Meynell and in a race at Newmarket Blue Cap won with ease, winning Smith-Barry a respectable 500 guineas in prize funds. After that, Blue Cap was a local legend. Sadly, Blue Cap passed away at 13 years old, in 1772 and his memorial stands in the yard of the Cheshire Hunt Kennels in Cuddington.

A plated dish sat on a wooden table in the exterior of The Blue Cap.

Modern days at the Blue Cap

Today, while our pub is no longer surrounded by sandy roads, we are just as traditional as ever. Railway sleepers line our ceilings, log fires roar through the autumn, winter and even spring and our menus, which are bright and fresh in summer, while hearty and comforting in autumn, offer a taste of seasonal Great British Classics. On weekends, we serve breakfast from 9am until 11:15am to fuel our early birds and our Sundays are sacred, with traditional roasts served all day. We welcome guests from all walks of life and extend an extra-special warm welcome to four-legged friends, who can enjoy lots of fuss from our team and a little treat from our doggy station.
 
Our menus are decorated with William Morris's patterns, to reflect nature and its changing seasons. Morris's designs were a protest against the Industrial Revolution and the pollution, congestion and waste that came with it. His life's work was underpinned by fighting the evils of the 'modern age', as he believed that humans required a connection to nature and his patterns were an attempt to keep that alive. We believe that Morris's patterns truly embody everything we stand for as a pub.
 
We really do love the countryside here at the Blue Cap and we encourage our guests to walk through the local areas with a route from our friends at AllTrails, or join in with a walking group to experience local knowledge you just can't get anywhere else. Either way, we're in the perfect place to stop off before, during or after your walk to refuel, refresh and recharge.