Sadly, very little is known of The Bell. It seems to have been in existance during the first half of the 17th Century when Robert Sybthorpe was Chaplain to King Charles I and also Rector of Burton Latimer. There is a tale that on a progression to Castle Ashby the king visited The Bell, where he was entertained for a shilling and had his shirt washed for a penny!
The earliest landlord that we know of was one Richard Wade, who was in situ by at least 1771. He was followed by Robert Wade in 1792. Henry Baines took over in 1795 and remained there until at least 1799.
In about 1810 the buiding was sold and converted into two private houses. In 1829, William Miller Snr. sold the property to the Revd. Thomas Durham. He is described as a victualler, but it is not at all clear whether he was actually running the pub at the time because he was also named as proprietor of the Horse & Jockey in 1820 and 1821.
The photograph above, taken in 1969, shows the premises in the High Street, with Mabel Piper's grocery shop next door. Unfortunately, by this time a wave of demolition on the street had begun, bringing with it an end to the building. |
