The Queen’s Head occupies a position on Main Road, immediately opposite what was once Watnall’s stately home; Watnall Hall, seat of the Rolleston family, now long gone, and with few remains. The inn itself is mentioned in Rolleston family deeds dating from 1755 which concern a holding later known as Chaworth Farm. The farm was owned by John Everingham of Bilborow, gent, and tenanted by Robert Clark. It occupied around 100 acres, and also included the present site of the inn. In actual fact, other papers originally lodged at Melbourne Hall, mention a William Everingham farming in Watnall Chaworth at a much earlier time, in 1653. He was then occupying about 20 acres and was a tenant of the Earls of Essex. The core of their estates in the area comprised lands originally confiscated from Beauvale Priory by Henry V111 after his troubles with Rome. They came ultimately into the ownership of firstly Lord Melbourne, and then Earl Cowper. At some stage shortly after 1653, the Everingham family must have become freeholders, they no longer appear in tenants lists for either the Melbourne or Rolleston estates after the beginning of the 18th century.

The Rolleston deeds of 1755 describe the progressive break up of Chaworth Farm by the heirs of the Everingham family.  The Inn itself receives a first mention in 1801, when it appears as a parcel called ‘the Old Queen’s Head and closes’, the ‘Old Queen’ being Queen Anne. It was sold to Edward Gething, from Brinsley in 1815, and sold again to Lancelot Rolleston in 1870. By 1853 Lord Melbourne had acquired most of the rest of the farm; the tenant being John Shaw, now occupying 114 acres. Lord Melbourne had also acquired the smithy, which lay to the south of the Queen’s Head. Both the Smithy and Chaworth Farm were purchased by Lancelot Rolleston in 1915, when he consolidated his holdings following the break up of the Cowper [ex Melbourne] estates.

The building itself is much altered, and the majority dates from the 18^th and 19^th centuries, although it is possible that there were earlier buildings on the site. Its major development as an inn seems to follow a familiar pattern in these parts. By the latter part of the 18^th century, the appalling condition of the roads was starting to be a problem. Local ‘turnpike trusts’ started to emerge which funded road maintenance by raising tolls at certain ‘bars’ across the road. These were sometimes in the form of chains, and there was one nearby at ‘Chain cottages’. The Nottingham to Newhaven turnpike was set up in 1758 between Chapel Bar, Nottingham, and Newhaven House in Derbyshire and ran past the Queen’s Head. Better roads meant more travellers, and increased demand for rest and recreational facilities. The current lounge area, probably represents an extension of the original building towards the turnpike road.