The Harpur Arms Public House, Bedford

Commercial Road during Great Flood. The Commercial Road Stables are visible on the right, and the Harpur Arms on the left, 1908 [ref: Z1306/10/14/3]

The Harpur Arms Public House: 8 Horne Lane, Bedford

The Harpur Arms was a public house located at 8 Horne Lane, Bedford. The first evidence of this pub is in 1847 when it was listed in the Post Office directory. In 1849 the pub was sold by W Johnstone to Frederick Ridden [ref: WL68]. These two men are cited as being the ones who erected The Harpur Arms in an endorsement on a conveyance in 1862 [ref: WL71] when it is sold to J A Piggott. The pub was sold to Charles Wells in 1875 and is listed in a sales catalogue along with 35 other public houses in Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire [ref: WL73].

In the assessment book of licensed houses which was done by J R Eve & Son between 1910 and 1911 [ref: Z720/214/2] it states the following about the building:

• Harpur Arms, Commercial Road [corner of Horne Lane]
• Occupier: Henry Holcombe Bannister (23 years)
• Owner: Charles Wells
• Public house
• Sign: Harpur Arms
• Situation: Commercial Road
• New rent: £26 tied (low)Takings £16 - £18
• Old trade: ‘Objecting’
• New Trade: -
• Old Valuation: £60
• Trade at Assessment Committee – beer 96 – 100 barrels a year. Spirits: 1910 – 170 1909 – 215
• 1908 – 208
• Takings average £16 a week, rent now £16
• New Valuation: £52
• New Rateable Value: £42
• - 1 good cellar
• - 1 bar 2 departments, 1 bar parlour, 1 tap room, 1 good commercial room, 1 kitchen "up first floor" "office…..no light"
• - first floor 5 bedrooms (2 very big, 3 fires, 3 small)
• - outside 1 stable for 6, 1 coachhouse
• - Further Notes: "Harris 36 years", "do half the trade and light now" "Personal - PH does not keep him"

The building was demolished in 1976.

Licensees: note that this is not a complete list; entries in italics refer to licensees where either beginning or end, or both, dates are not known:

• 1847: John Harris
• 1861-1877: William Harris
• 1885: Frances Harris
• 1890-1914: Harry Holcombe Bannister
• 1920-1928: Joseph William Pilgrim
• 1931: Arthur Ronald Keech
• 1936: Evelyn Ann Holtham
• 1940: Arthur Herbet Clark
• 1947: Sydney William Melton
• 1949-1950: Edward Cartwright
• 1952: S Lowdon-Smith
• 1955-1957: S A Hughes
• 1970-1974: Cyril Armstong

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives:

• WL68: Conveyance, 1849
• WL77: Abstract of title, 1851
• WL71: Conveyance, 1862
• BorBP23b: Additions to Harpur Arms Inn, Horne Lane, Bedford for Mr I A Piggot, 1865
• WL73: Sale catalogue inc. Harpur Arms, 1875
• BorBP1046: New room (Harpur Arms Inn?) Horne Lane, Bedford for Mr Charles Wells., 1883
• ST/U3/9: Notebook + Notes include Harpur Arms, Horne Lane, 1890-1893
• ST/U4/20: Notebook + Notes include Harpur Arms, Horne Lane, 1896
• BorBP3165: Additions to Harpur Arms public house, Horne Lane, Bedford for Mr Charles Wells, 1896
• ST/U4/21: Notebook + Notes include Harpur Arms, Horne Lane, 1896-1897
• Z1306/10/14/3: Postcard showing view of Commercial Road during Great Flood. The Commercial Road Stables are visible on the right, and the Harpur Arms on the left, 1908
• Z720/214/2: Assessment Book of Licensed Houses in Bedford, 1910-1911
• Z1169/8/8/16/1: Drawings by Usher & Anthony of Harpur Arms, Horne Lane, for Charles Wells Ltd, 1929
• BorBP9496: Plan of water closet, Harpur Arms public house, 1934
• Z1169/8/8/16/2: Drawings by Deacon & Gude of Harpur Arms, Horne Lane, for Charles Wells Ltd., 1946
• BP65/54/1A-B: View of Horne Lane looking east. Stafford Rogers and Merry to far right, a truck of the Bedford Refrigeration Co Ltd approaching the camera, Harpur Arms public house in the centre, c.1950
• Z1169/8/8/16/3: Drawings by Deacon & Gude of Harpur Arms, Horne Lane, for Charles Wells Ltd., 1951
• BTNegG451/74-75: Negative of Judith Chalmers at Harpur Arms. Taken for the Bedford Record, 1965
• Z1639/20/1: View of Harpur Arms Inn, 1972
• CRT130BED/317/2: Bedford pubs - album F-Q compiled by Frank Farmer, 1990s
• Z1645/1: Photographic scrapbook recording the history of Horne Lane and the Riverside North site, Bedford, 2016