Chapter I: Front Matter

THE OLD INNS OF OLD ENGLAND

WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR

The Portsmouth Road, and its Tributaries: To-day and in Days of Old.

The Dover Road: Annals of an Ancient Turnpike.

The Bath Road: History, Fashion, and Frivolity on an Old Highway.

The Exeter Road: The Story of the West of England Highway.

The Great North Road: The Old Mail Road to Scotland. Two Vols.

The Norwich Road: An East Anglian Highway.

The Holyhead Road: The Mail-Coach Road to Dublin. Two Vols.

The Cambridge, Ely, and King’s Lynn Road: The Great Fenland Highway.

The Newmarket, Bury, Thetford, and Cromer Road: Sport and History on an East Anglian Turnpike.

The Oxford, Gloucester, and Milford Haven Road: The Ready Way to South Wales. Two Vols.

The Brighton Road: Speed, Sport, and History on the Classic Highway.

The Hastings Road and the “Happy Springs of Tunbridge.”

Cycle Rides Round London.

A Practical Handbook of Drawing for Modern Methods of Reproduction.

Stage-Coach and Mail in Days of Yore. Two Vols.

The Ingoldsby Country: Literary Landmarks of “The Ingoldsby Legends.”

The Hardy Country: Literary Landmarks of the Wessex Novels.

The Dorset Coast.

The South Devon Coast. [_In the Press._

THE OLD INNS OF OLD ENGLAND

_A PICTURESQUE ACCOUNT OF THE
ANCIENT AND STORIED HOSTELRIES
OF OUR OWN COUNTRY_

VOL. II

BY CHARLES G. HARPER

_Illustrated chiefly by the Author, and from Prints
and Photographs_

LONDON:
CHAPMAN & HALL, LIMITED
1906

_All rights reserved_

PRINTED AND BOUND BY
HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD.,
LONDON AND AYLESBURY.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. A POSY OF OLD INNS 1

II. THE OLD INNS OF CHESHIRE 58

III. INNS RETIRED FROM BUSINESS 79

IV. INNS WITH RELICS AND CURIOSITIES 109

V. TAVERN RHYMES AND INSCRIPTIONS 130

VI. THE HIGHEST INNS IN ENGLAND 144

VII. GALLOWS SIGNS 150

VIII. SIGNS PAINTED BY ARTISTS 161

IX. QUEER SIGNS IN QUAINT PLACES 184

X. RURAL INNS 210

XI. THE EVOLUTION OF A COUNTRY INN 235

XII. INGLE-NOOKS 240

XIII. INNKEEPERS’ EPITAPHS 245

XIV. INNS WITH ODD PRIVILEGES 255

XV. INNS IN LITERATURE 261

XVI. VISITORS’ BOOKS 291

SEPARATE PLATES

A MUG OF CIDER: THE “WHITE HART” INN, CASTLE COMBE.
(_Photo by Graystone Bird_) _Frontispiece_

FACING PAGE

THE CROMWELL ROOM, “LYGON ARMS” 8

THE DINING-ROOM AT “THE FEATHERS,” LUDLOW 22

COURTYARD OF THE “MAID’S HEAD,” NORWICH, SHOWING THE
JACOBEAN BAR 42

THE “BELL,” BARNBY MOOR: MEET OF LORD GALWAY’S HOUNDS 56

THE “FOUR SWANS,” WALTHAM CROSS 152

SIGN OF THE “PACK HORSE AND TALBOT,” TURNHAM GREEN 194

THE “RUNNING FOOTMAN,” HAY HILL 194

INTERIOR OF “UNCLE TOM’S CABIN” 196

“UNCLE TOM’S CABIN,” BLUEPITTS, NEAR ROCHDALE 196

THE “TALBOT,” RIPLEY. (_Photo by R. W. Thomas_) 212

THE “ANCHOR,” RIPLEY, IN THE DAYS OF THE DIBBLES AND THE
CYCLING BOOM. (_Photo by R. W. Thomas_) 214

THE “SWAN,” SANDLEFORD 216

THE “SWAN,” NEAR NEWBURY 216

THE INGLE-NOOK, “WHITE HORSE” INN, SHERE 240

INGLE-NOOK AT THE “SWAN,” HASLEMERE 242

THE INGLE-NOOK, “CROWN” INN, CHIDDINGFOLD 244

INGLE-NOOK, “LYGON ARMS,” BROADWAY 246

THE “VINE TAVERN,” MILE END ROAD 258

YARD OF THE “WHITE HORSE,” MAIDEN NEWTON 288

THE “WHITE HORSE,” MAIDEN NEWTON 288

ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT

Vignette, Toby Fillpot _Title-page_

PAGE

List of Illustrations, The “Malt-shovel,” Sandwich vii

The Old Inns of Old England 1

Doorway, the “Lygon Arms” 3

The “Lygon Arms” 5

The “Bear,” Devizes 11

Yard of the “Bear,” Devizes 15

The “George,” Andover 17

The “Feathers,” Ludlow 19

Decorative Device in Moulded Plaster, from Ceiling of Dining-room,
the “Feathers,” Ludlow 25

The “Peacock,” Rowsley 27

The “White Hart,” Godstone 31

The Old Window, “Luttrell Arms” 39

Doorway, “The Cock,” Stony Stratford 43

Yard of “The George,” Huntingdon 45

The “Bell,” Stilton 49

The “Red Lion,” Egham 53

The “Old Hall” Inn, Sandbach 59

Dog-gates at Head of Staircase, “Old Hall” Inn, Sandbach 61

The “Bear’s Head,” Brereton 63

The “Lion and Swan,” Congleton 67

The “Cock,” Great Budworth 71

The “Pickering Arms,” Thelwall 73

The “King Edgar” and “Bear and Billet,” Chester 75

A Deserted Inn: The “Swan,” at Ferrybridge 83

The Old “Raven,” Hook 86

The “Hearts of Oak,” near Bridport 88

The “Bell” Inn, Dale Abbey 90

The “Windmill,” North Cheriton 91

The “Castle” Inn, Marlborough 95

Garden Front, “Castle” Inn, Marlborough 99

“Chapel House” Inn 103

“White Hart” Yard 107

A “Fenny Popper” 111

The “Bell,” Woodbridge 112

The “Red Lion,” Martlesham 113

“Dean Swift’s Chair,” Towcester 115

Boots at the “Bear,” Esher 117

The “George and Dragon,” Dragon’s Green 119

The “White Bull,” Ribchester 120

Boots of the “Unicorn,” Ripon 121

The “Red Lion,” Chiswick 123

The Old Whetstone 125

Hot Cross Buns at the “Widow’s Son” 127

The “Gate” Inn, Dunkirk 132

The “Gate Hangs Well,” Nottingham 133

Tablet at the “George,” Wanstead 141

“Tan Hill” Inn 145

The “Cat and Fiddle,” near Buxton 147

The “Traveller’s Rest,” Kirkstone Pass 149

The “Greyhound,” Sutton 151

The “Fox and Hounds,” Barley 154

The “George,” Stamford 155

The “Swan,” Fittleworth 158

The “Red Lion,” Hampton-on-Thames 159

The “Man Loaded with Mischief” 163

Sign of the “Royal Oak,” Bettws-y-Coed 173

Sign of the “George and Dragon,” Wargrave-on-Thames.
(_Painted by G. D. Leslie, R.A._) 176

Sign of the “George and Dragon,” Wargrave-on-Thames.
(_Painted by J. E. Hodgson, R.A._) 177

The “Row Barge,” Wallingford. (_Painted by G. D. Leslie, R.A._) 178

The “Swan,” Preston Crowmarsh 178

The “Windmill,” Tabley 179

The “Smoker” Inn, Plumbley 179

The “Ferry” Inn, Rosneath 180

The “Ferry” Inn, Rosneath 180

The “Fox and Pelican,” Grayshott 181

The “Cat and Fiddle,” near Christchurch 182

The “Cat and Fiddle,” near Christchurch 182

The “Swan,” Charing 189

Sign of the “Leather Bottle,” Leather Lane. (_Removed 1896_) 191

Sign of the “Beehive,” Grantham 193

Sign of the “Lion and Fiddle,” Hilperton 195

The “Sugar Loaves,” Sible Hedingham 195

Sign of the “Old Rock House” Inn, Barton 197

The “Three Horseshoes,” Great Mongeham 198

Sign of the “Red Lion,” Great Missenden 198

Sign of the “Labour in Vain” 199

The “Eight Bells,” Twickenham 201

Sign of the “Stocks” Inn, Clapgate, near Wimborne 202

The “Shears” Inn, Wantage 202

Sign of the “White Bear,” Fickles Hole 203

The “Crow-on-Gate” Inn, Crowborough 205

The “First and Last” Inn, Sennen 206

The “First and Last,” Land’s End 207

The “Eagle and Child,” Nether Alderley 209

The “White Horse,” Woolstone 211

The “Halfway House,” Rickmansworth 215

The “Rose and Crown,” Mill End, Rickmansworth 216

The “Jolly Farmer,” Farnham 217

The “Boar’s Head,” Middleton 218

The “Old House at Home,” Havant 219

“Pounds Bridge” 221

Yard of the “George and Dragon,” West Wycombe 223

The Yard of the “Sun,” Dedham 225

The “Old Ship,” Worksop 226

The “Old Swan,” Atherstone 227

The “King’s Arms,” Sandwich 229

The “Keigwin Arms,” Mousehole 230

The “Swan,” Knowle 231

Sign of the “Swan,” Knowle 232

The “Running Horse,” Merrow 233

Ingle-nook at the “Talbot,” Towcester 243

Tipper’s Epitaph, Newhaven 251

Preston’s Epitaph, St. Magnus-the-Martyr 253

“Newhaven” Inn 257

House where the Duke of Buckingham died, Kirkby Moorside 265

The “Black Swan,” Kirkby Moorside 267

Washington Irving’s “Throne” and “Sceptre” 270

Yard of the “Old Angel,” Basingstoke 279

The “White Hart,” Whitchurch 281

The “Bell,” Tewkesbury 285

The “Wheatsheaf,” Tewkesbury 287

Henley-in-Arden, and the “White Swan” 301

THE OLD INNS OF OLD ENGLAND