Collect this page

The inns of Alphington, past and present

A brief history

By Rowena Jay

The Eight Bells Inn

This inn was so named to commemorate the new peel of bells housed in the church tower in 1749, stood on the green triangle known as Gallows Green outside the church. The building was originally known as Shaddyford House before it became The Eight Bells Inn in 1770. It was demolished in the early 1870s when the Church's graveyard was extended.

The King William

Mentioned in 1850 edition of White's Devonshire and Thomas Carpenter was named as running the inn. In the 1878-1879 edition of White's Devonshire the Vict. was Samuel Tozer  and it was still being run by Thomas Carpenter. The 1881 records shows that there were two lodgers at the inn were Samuel and Thomas Stevens.

The Double Locks Hotel

This dates back to 1701 and was originally a lock-keepers cottage. It was erected in metric size and Dutch bricks were imported to use as ballast. During the next expansion of the canal, in the 1820s, James Green rebuilt the Double Locks re-using some of the earlier bricks along with more modern, factory made bricks. The building also provided stabling for horses. A towpath was also added to each side of the canal to allow larger ships to be towed by horses. The lock itself
is the longest in the country, 95m long by 8m and it can take two ships at once hence it was called The Double Locks. When HMS Exeter was refitted in 1938 the old masts were used for the arms on the lock gates.

Some past keepers of The Double Locks Hotel included:

• 1850, from White's Devonshire, Thomas Pennyman though this should probably have read Thomas Perryman
• 1878, from White's Devonshire, William Pearce
• 1897, from Kelly's, W. C. Hannaford and the hotel was called the Double Lock Inn, Alphington, Exeter
• 1906, from Besley's, Hannaford W. C.
• 1923, William Carter
• 1934, from Besley's, Lamprey, C. W.
• 1956, from Kelly's, Geo. H. Hutchings

Taken from the Trewman's Exeter Flying Post dated 12 May 1791. "Saturday died, in an advanced age Mr John Hayward, Keeper of the Double Lock".

During the 1930's when the lock keeper was patrolling his area at the Double Locks he found a human leg in a brown parcel. A search revealed a second leg also in a brown parcel. The police sent divers into the canal looking for a body but none was ever found and it was decided that a medical student had disposed of the legs!

A body of a man was found drowned in the canal and a rumour appeared in the local newspapers that the lock keeper had refused to allow the body to be placed in his house. Trewman's Exeter Flying Post dated 1 June 1825 printed a statement acquitting the landlord of the slur and gave the true story. The landlord, Mr Perryman was not at home at the time of the incident and the body was conveyed to the House of Reception at the Exeter Lime Kilns. The article says ". . . and exculpates Mrs. Perryman (who was much hurried) from the slightest imputation of inhumanity or neglect."

The New Inn

In 1872 when the Post Office moved from the corner of Ide Lane The New Inn opened in the vacant building. It was a Cider House until the turn of the 19th century. In 1967 this original building was demolished and the inn moved into the 1930s-style house next door. The bar areas are now housed in an extension built on to the house. Charles Cole was at one time a landlord of this inn.

The Bell Inn/Old Bell Inn

This was originally a private residence called Bourgonynes in 1704 and owned by William Burgoyne. At some stage a cottage next door, The Bell Inn and Lamp cottage were interconnected; Lamp cottage use to stand where the entrance to Lucerne House is situated today. It is thought that The Bell Inn expanded into these neighbouring properties during the height of the coaching days in the 18th century. Lamp cottage's turret was used as a look out for the coaches so that fresh horses would be ready upon their arrival; this was in preparation for the long pull up Haldon Hill. In 1857 the tenant was Thomas Langford (White's Devonshire 1850) and from 1866 until 1870 H. Mitchel was a resident.

The Red Lion

This was situated in The Church House, which stood on the site of the old school. In 1814 it was called The Admirals Head and it appears to have been known by several other names in the past: The Vernon's Head and also The Church House Inn. A 17th-century court was held at this inn where criminal cases were heard and parish officers discussed under the auspices of the Court Baron. The Parliamentary troops stayed here during the Civil War, this is when the inn was possibly known as The Church House Inn. General Fairfax saw the strategic importance of Alphington after defeating the Royalists at Powderham in 1645. He finalised his plans for a Parliamentary Victory in 1646 at Great Torrington in February. His Troops also used the church during 1644 to stable their horses. It is also thought that Oliver Cromwell marched through the village.

According to White's Devonshire 1850 William Grover ran The Admiral Vernon. In 1860 the property had a brew house, cellars, stables and a courtyard. It was destroyed by fire on 15th September 1871. Fortunately the occupier (surname Foefees), his wife and children escaped. The fire started at 4am and also destroyed two adjoining houses owned by Messrs. Nosworthy and Buckbet and a butchers shop owned by Mr Fry. Four fire engines from three brigades arrived at 5am but unfortunately, a lack of water meant that only two engines could be used. The other two acted as "feeders" bringing water from The Alphin Brook.

In 1883 The Admiral Vernon moved to the premises occupied by The Bell Inn, the tenant was Joseph Richards who leased The Bell Inn from William Loram who was a butcher. John Routley was a tenant at about 1889 and Adams was a resident from 1875 until 1905. Tokens were used at both these inns, they were possibly given as change or prizes from the games played in the inns. Beer could be bought with these tokens. On the 5th May 1898 William Loram sold the fields, orchards and The Admiral Vernon to St. Annes Well Brewery. He moved to Brooklands and this was when this house became a hotel. The Admiral Vernon was still thatched during World War Two. A story goes that the Home Guard were drinking when one of their guns went off. The bullet went through first the ceiling, then a bed and finally through a chamber pot before becoming lodged in the thatched roof.

The research for this web page was carried out in Local Libraries and Studies Libraries. Read more about Alphington's inns in my book "Alphington History and Memories".