The building was originally the village stores built during the 1860’s when the quarrying operation employed around 300 men. It rather conveniently also had a “Refreshment Room”. After the demise of the quarries it continued its dual role as shop and pub as shown in this 1884 photograph.
When Martin Coles Harman arrived in 1925 one of his early projects was to convert the adjoining Manor House Farm building into a hotel. The pub, as part of the hotel, was renamed the Marisco Tavern, continuing to share its space with the Island’s general stores.
In the early 1980’s the Tavern was redeveloped, and extended, by the Landmark Trust. The bar moved into the former residence of the long-serving Island agent Felix Gade, who died in 1978. The shop shifted backwards and forwards a couple of times, eventually settling in its present location at Linhay in 1993.
Now simply a pub the Tavern provides a restaurant and social centre for Island staff and staying guests as well as catering for the large numbers of day-trippers arriving on the Oldenburg or visiting ships such as the paddle steamer Waverley.