The Stanley Arms Public House, Bedford

The Stanley Arms, c.1990s [ref: CRT130BED/317/3]

The Stanley Arms Public House: 29 Harpur Street, Bedford

A brewhouse is first mentioned on the site of The Stanley Arms in a conveyance of 1856 [ref: WL1000/1/BED/1/36]. The building is listed as “lately a cottage without offices, wagon hovels, stables, yard etc. in yard at rear of (a) [a bakehouse] with entrance from Queens Head Lane, formerly a washhouse, stable and timber yard, in occupation of Thomas Copperwait and used as a brewhouse”. The property was owned by George Warren Lamb of Kettering and was sold to Charles Bradley, a grocer of Bedford. In the following year Charles Bradley took out an insurance policy on the building for £450.

In 1880 The Stanley Arms was put up for sale and the tenant is noted as being Charles Wells. It is is listed in a sales particular [ref: WL1000/1/BED/1/38] as:

Lot 1: brick built freehold dwelling house with front shop and bakehouse and adjoining beerhouse known as Stanley Arms with large yard, warehouse etc. in Harpur Street with carriage approach from Queens Head Lane, in tenancy of Mr. Coleman, baker and Charles Wells, brewer; together containing 2 sitting rooms, taproom, 7 bedrooms, cellar etc.; yearly rent 36; frontage to Harpur Street 29ft 8in; frontage to Queens Head Lane 13ft 9in; Land Tax 16/-; depth 127ft.

In a Rating Valuation [ref: Z720/214/2] by J R Eve & Son the pub is listed as follows:

• Occupier: Mrs J H Dun
• Owner: Charles Wells
• Beer House
• License: £3.10.0
• Years: 22
• Parish: St Paul
• Sign: The Stanley Arms
• Situation: 29 Harpur Street
• Old Rent: -
• New Rent: £20 tied
• Tenancy: Quarterly
• Old Trade: ‘Objecting’
• New Trade: 2½ barrels a week. 6 dozen bottles.
• Old Valuation: £45
• New Valuation: £38
• New Rateable Value: £30 ‘as trade doubtful’
• Two entrances (one into side bar), one small side bar, 4 beer pulls, tap room, sitting room, kitchen, cellar, 3 first floor bedrooms, 2 attic. Outside: wash house and hen house belong to tenant. No buildings go with house.
• Advantages, Disadvantages & c.: 157 barrels, 236 bottles.
• Further notes: ‘Keep no books. Saw tenant. She cannot tell me anything about trade as it varies so much. Don’t sell 3 dozen bottled a week & 2 years ago were selling 20.

In 1997 The Stanley Arms was converted into Bar Citrus. Bar Citrus closed in 2024. In July 2025 the premises reopened as The Hidden Barrel, a micro pub.

List of 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:

• 1854: Thomas Copperwaite
• 1869: George Ridge
• 1887: Alfred Charles Wheatley
• 1894: John Dudley
• 1901: John H Dun
• 1910-1924: Mary Matilda Dun
• 1931: Jack Cannon
• 1936: T Ames
• 1938: Francis Leopold Carthew
• 1940-1952: Arthur Edward Wildman
• 1955: Leslie Owen Gomm

List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives:

• WL1000/1/BED/1/1-39: Deeds and other documents relating to the property which became Stanley Arms, 1678-1880
• BorBP2382: Water closet at 'Stanley Arms', Harpur Street, Bedford for C Wells. Thought to be property number 29 [1985].  NOT BUILT, 1891
• Z720/214/2: Assessment of Licensed Houses in Bedford Town 'Book 1', 1910-1911
• BorBTP/90/0665: Planning application for The Stanley Arms, Harpur Street, Bedford:  extension to provide new toilets and catering kitchen, 1990
• BorBPH3/68: Negative of 27 and 29 Harpur Street, 1961
• BorBPH3/69: Negative of 29 Harpur Street (The Stanley Arms Public House), 1972
• X881/7/S30: The Stanley Arms, Harpur Street, Bedford, 1992 & 1993
• X881/7/S30/2: Photograph of the exterior of the Stanley Arms, Harpur Street, Bedford., 1993
• X881/6/4/32/2: Colour photograph of 29 Harpur Street during conversion from The Stanley Arms to Bar Citrus, 1995-1997
• WL722/93: Issue of the Pint Pot which discusses Bar Citrus, 1998