The Wrestlers Public House, Langford
The Wrestlers: 126 Church Street, Langford
The Wrestlers was a public house located at 126 Church Street. It was the headquarters of the Wrestlers Friendly Society and the Ancient Order of the Foresters. These two organisations provided support for the village by providing sickness benefits, clubs, funeral expenses and terraced houses for rent. Originally it was a thatched building adjacent to the road. The pub belonged to Stimpsons of Baldock in 1876 and Charles Wells was the landlord. Joseph Brown took over in 1890 and Swithun Simms followed in 1909. The pub still ran until 2017.
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 public house in 1927 [ref: DV1/C67/22] found it was owned by Simpson & Co and and occupied by S Simms.
The pub is noted as being a modern brick and tile building with a full licence. Downstairs there is a very good club room, a large tap room, a living room, a larder and a cellar. Upstairs there a four bedrooms and a box room. Outside there is a small garden, a barn [being pulled down], a two stall stable, two loose boxes, two stores, a open cart lodge and an onion loft. Simpsons also owned some land next to the pub. Trade is noted as being one barrell, 10 dozen bottles and one gallon of spirits per week.
Licencees: 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: John Wells
- 1851 - 1876: Charles Wells
- 1881 - 1901: Joseph Brown
- 1909 - 1931: Walter Swithun Sims
- 1940: Ernest J. Bushby
List of sources at Bedfordshire Archives:
- X836/9/5: Draft notice of General Court Baron and Customary Court to be held at the Wrestler's Inn, 1916
- DV1/C67/22: Rating valuation book, 1927
- Z1169/8/44/1: Architects drawings for The Wrestlers, 1953.
- PL/P/BWR68/130A: Proposed function hall at the Wrestlers Public House for Greene King, 1968