The Sportsman was Built in 1684 as wagoners cottages for the Farm Workers, and then was Re-built in in 1758 which is the main front of the building today. During The 18th and early 19th Century the building was the bailiffs house for the manor of sholden. in 1824 the Manor sold the house to a Mrs Elizabeth Reynolds who leased it to Joseph Dewell who in 1836 obtained and beer licence from the 1930's beer act that allowed any house holder of a good character to obtain a license to sell beer for the meer sum of two guineas to the excise, which meant that was outside of the magistrates controll, this allowed beer houses to keep there own times which meant most opened all night in the 1900's bass chariton breweries brought

the sportsman whose tenants ran the public house up until the 1980's when Chris and Christine Liversidge 

Brought the Building  renovated and re-opened once again as the sportsman in the 1990's Robert & Debbie Grimson took over the helm adding Bed & Breakfast to the services offered and in 2002 the present Owner Janice Coleman with her son Jamie Coleman took over the sportsman and are the present licensees adding new toilets and function room restaurant and improving the buildings to make a warm inviting village inn.