The Old Leithfield Hotel

In 1855 John Leith built the first hotel on the south bank of the Kowai River, behind the present building. There were stables and an accommodation building, and the hotel provided a stopover point for travellers, including the Cobb and Co coaches and passengers. At the front of the current hotel, the Upping Stone is a relic of this bygone era, used for mounting and dismounting horses, especially by members of the Brackenfield Hunt. The logo above for the present hotel uses the concept of the Upping Stone to reflect the history of the site.

The hotel was bought by the village baker, C.E. Paget in 1866, and by 1870 a new and larger hotel called The Royal had been constructed on the present site. This hotel was operated by various people through to 1911, when a fire burnt it to the ground. A new building was subsequently constructed, which remains today as the Old Leithfield Hotel, having managed to stand for over a century, including through the Canterbury earthquakes which brought down many of the province's older buildings.

The hotel continues the tradition of a local country pub - it is a focal point for the growing local community, a warm and friendly place to meet, with good food and cold beer.