The Ram Saint Andrews Street Leighton

8 St Andrews Street June 2008

The Ram Public House: 8 Saint Andrew's Street, Leighton Buzzard

The countywide Return of Licensed Premises of 1876 states that the owner and occupier of the Ram public house was Joseph Hopkins and that it had first been licensed in 1841. The dates of first licensing given in the return are often inaccurate but there is no reason so far discovered to doubt this particular date.

In 1878 Hopkins put the Ram, along with five cottages and building land up for sale by auction [BML10/42/52]. It was described as: All that most substantially built, brick and slated, old established, fully-licensed freehold house situated in Church Street, Leighton Buzzard, and known as the Ram Inn, which is now, and has been for so many years in the occupation of the Owner, and is well known as one of the most frequented and lucrative Houses in the Town. The Building, which has a frontage to the Road of 39 feet 6 inches, is of the strongest description, the outside walls being 14 inches thick, the walls and partitions above being 9 inch work throughout, while the timbers are of unusually large dimensions, and the whole of the roof close boarded. In the basement is an excellent roomy and dry Cellar, 28 feet by 15 feet, and arched Dairy. On the Ground Floor, Parlour, Kitchen, large and lofty Tap-room, 18 feet by 12 feet and Bar, with two good Bed-rooms over; adjoining is a large Store Room, 28 feet by 14 feet 9 inches; which might be easily converted into a club-room, approached from the Street by a pair of folding doors, and with a door opening to the Garden in the rear; above is a large Room or Store Room, 28 feet 6 inches by 25 feet 6 inches which, with a very little expense, could be converted into four good bed-rooms. At the rear of the House is a paved Yard, with small Flower Garden, and a large Kitchen Garden, with an  8 feet boundary Wall on the west side, and being planted with a good selection of choice young standard and wall fruit trees. On the opposite side of the road is a paved yard, enclosed by a high brick wall and large pair of doors, in which is a most compact Brick and Stone-built and Slated Brew-house and Stable, with Loft over. In the yard is a force pump and an excellent supply of never-failing water. There is a lead pipe laid down, connecting the House with the Brew-house, and taking the Beer to the cellars". The public house was purchased by Ivinghoe [Buckinghamshire] brewers Roberts and Wilson for £1,650.

Roberts and Wilson was taken over by Benskins Watford Brewery in 1927, which was itself taken over by Ind Coope in 1967. The Ram was still a public house in 1988 as, in that year, planning permission was granted to Ind Coope, for a single storey rear extension and in 1991 as there was a change of licensee in that year. The Ram is now [2009] a private house.

References:

• PSLB4/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Leighton Buzzard Petty Sessional Division: c.1860s-1949;
• PSLB4/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Leighton Buzzard Petty Sessional Division: c.1860s-1956;
• BML10/42/8: auction sale held at Ram: 1864;
• BML10/42/21: auction sale held at Ram: 1866;
• BML10/42/52: auction sale particulars: 1878;
• P91/28/48: indicated as being at 8 Saint Andrew's Street in notes compiled on Leighton Buzzard public houses: early 20th century;
• PSLB4/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Leighton Buzzard Petty Sessional Division: 1922-1948  

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:

1864: Joseph Hopkins;
1878: George Gale;
1898: George Jinney;
1915: William John Dimmock;
1927: Thomas Powell;
1929: Eugene Thomas Peppiatt;
1930: Thomas Henry Rowe;
1935: James Robert Thatcher;
1936: William James Francis;
1938: Charles Stanley Upton;
1939: Alec Howard Young;
1943: James Charles Wilby;
1952: Edward Kidd;
1975: Leslie William Nunn;
1978: John Alec Boyson;
1980: George Leng;
1982: Irene Leng;
1984: Alan George Button;
1986: Colin John Greenberry and Hugh Francis Barry Floyd;
1987: Patrick Joseph Dineen;
1989: Ann Margaret Dineen;
1989: Ann Margaret Dineen and Richard Charles Thomas Mead;
1991: Patrick Joseph Dineen.