The Old Bell

The Bell (also known as The Old Bell, The Blue Bell Inn) used to occupy the thatched cottage currently called ‘The Old Bell’ which stands opposite the village shop in Meldreth High Street.

Built in 1676, the building used to be three dwellings.  The earliest record we have for The Bell as a public house is 1726 when one Richard Hadgar was granted a licence to sell beer and wine from the premises.  This makes it one of the first public houses in Meldreth.

In 1764 the tenancy passed to James Wing of Meldreth for the sum of £38 and it remained in the Wing family until 1837 when it was offered for sale by auction.  It would appear that by this time the premise was just one single dwelling.

By 1862 Samuel Woods held the licence and he remained in the cottage with his wife Rebecca, raising their seven children, until The Bell closed in 1910.

Some time after 1910 the name was changed to ‘Dormers’ but it reverted back to The Old Bell in 1996.

For more information, please see The Old Bell’s website, which has been developed by Tony Jeffreys one of the current owners (2022).

Meldreth High Street in 1905
Robert H Clark photo
Meldreth High Street today. The Old Bell stands opposite the Village Shop
photo by Tim Gane
Aerial View of 'Dormers' (The Old Bell) in the 1960s
Photo is property of Avril McArthur
Samuel Woods - the Last Landlord of The Bell
Photo property of Avril MacArthur
The Bell in the 1920s
Bell's Postcard
The Bell, now called 'Dormers' in 1960
photo is property of Avril MacArthur
Newspaper Report on the Closure of The Bell
Royston Crow January 14th 1910
Sale of The Old Bell in 1820
The Royston Crow, Nov 10th 1820
The Sale of The Bell in 1837 - It would appear that the property still belonged to the Wing Family when it was offered for sale by Robert Wing.
The Royston Crow March 4th 1837

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