The Bustard Inn was built by the owners of the Rauceby Hall Estate in 1860 to replace the Robin Hood Inn which was removed to make way for the new south gate entrance to Rauceby Hall Park. It was reported in a local journal, The Sleaford Gazette, that the opening “attracted a great portion of the company but everything went off quietly and there were no disgraceful scenes. There was dancing by candlelight in the open air”. The family crest was sculpted in stone above the oriel window which now looks onto the garden. The brew house and the stable, which now form part of the restaurant, were situated in an older stone building behind the main building.

The Bustard Inn, which is a Grade II listed building, was so named because of the legend which states that the last Great Bustard in England was shot on Bustard Hill, which is sited behind the inn and is now known as Tom Lane. The Great Bustard, which is the heaviest flighted bird in the world with the male bird weighing up to 20kg, became extinct in this country in the mid 19th century. Attempts are ongoing to re-introduce this bird into the UK on Salisbury Plain with mating pairs successfully producing eggs for the first time in over one and a half centuries. Today there are around 100 birds once again living in the wild.

The Bustard Inn also has a history of royal visits as it was regularly frequented by Prince Albert (later King George VI) when he was stationed at Cranwell during the First World War.  Prince Charles also visited the inn when he was stationed at Cranwell. More recently, celebrities have included Kaleb and Charlie from Clarkson’s Farm!