The Bull Public House, Barton-le-Clay
The Bull, Sep 2024
The Bull Public House: 77 Bedford Road, Barton-le-Clay
The Bull is an old, oak-beamed free-house pub in the centre of the village on Bedford Road. The Bull first appears in the Register of Ale House licences in 1822.
The Bull was listed by the former Department of Environment in March 1975 as Grade II, of special interest. It dates from the 18th century and the property comprises of two storeys, six casements with glazing bard and moulded surrounds beneath a clay tiled roof.
The Rating and Valuation Act 1925 specified that every building and piece of land in the country was to be assessed to determine its rateable value. The valuer visiting the property, on 21st February 1927 [ref: DV1/C22/96] found it was owned by J W Green Ltd and occupied by H S Russell.
The property is noted been a very rambling old-fashioned place with long passages. Downstairs comprised a bar, a smoke room, a fair tap room, a billiard room, a living room, kitchen and scullery. Upstairs there were six bedrooms, three of these were letting bedrooms. Outside was stables for three, a cart shed, a washhouse and a barn.
Trade is listed as 1 ½ barrels, 12 dozen bottles and ¾ gallon of spirits a week. The public house was fully licensed.
Licensees: note that this is not a complete list and that dates in italics are not necessarily beginning or end dates, merely the first/last date which can be confirmed from sources such as directories and deeds.
- 1847 - 1850 – Thomas Edwards
- 1853 - 1854 – Ann Edwards
- 1864 - 1899 – William Hook
- 1906 – Rebecca Hook
- 1910 - 1924 – Mary Hook
- 1928 - 1931 – Harold S Russell
- 1931 - 1952 – Ada Byford
The Bull Public House, c.1894 [ref: Z402/13/1]
List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives:
- QSR1825/337-338: Examinations regarding prosecution of Joseph Stapleton, 1825
- Z402/13/1: Photograph of The Bull, 1894
- WB/Green6/4/1: Trade Analysis ledger including The Bull, 1936-1947
- WB/Green4/2/20: List of Buildings of Special Architectural of Historic Interest inc. The Bull, c.1950-1960
- WB/Green4/2/5: List of licenced houses of J.W Green – includes The Bull, c.1952
- Z402/11/4: (2) Notes on Barton public houses from CRO source, 1981