around 1900
At least the core of the building is amongst the older pubs/hotels in Newmarket. Named for the fact that St. Mary's Church nearby originally had five bells. Lodgings of the racing tout Daniel Dawson, hanged in front of 15,000 spectators in Cambridge for poisoning horses belonging to Mr. Prince in 1811. He had been hired by 2 bookmaker brothers named Bland. Landlady Mrs Tilbrook was snooping through Dawson's belongings and discovered the poison and informed the law. When Harriett Moody, her brothers being bankrupt, was finally forced to sell her brewery (site now of Racing Centre) to Greene, King in 1896, The Five Bells, together with the Star (now Pizza Express), Grosvenor Arms (now The Yard), Woolpack (opposite the Bushel in Drapery Row), Chequers Gazeley, Five Bells Burwell, Kings Head Moulton (now Packhorse Inn), Red Lion Cheveley, Royal Oak Dullingham (now private house), Royal Oak Swaffham Bulbeck and the blacksmiths shop in Swaffham Bulbeck. All this for a total of £22,500 On 1 Sept 1805 "At the Five Bells in Newmarket on the 10th day of September 1805, precisely at four o'clock in the afternoon, in the following lots: A Lot 1. l that messuage, tenement, or public house, situate upon Mill Hill, called the Five Bells, in the occupation of John Griffith; a messuage or tenement adjoining, occupied by Wm.Cross, and two tenements in possession of Mrs Griffith and Mrs Wormwell, with the with the yards, gardens outhouses and a piece of land adjoining, called the Nursery, subject to the estate for life of Sarah Griffith". There were also four tenements adjoining (as Lot 2) but is it not clear if they constituted part of the Five Bells. It does however confirm the existence of dwellings in the Five Bells yard at that time and four families were living in them in the census, therefore at least in 1841. At one time the stable block was orientated towards the east, and the coaching entrance was through the arch further along, presently the entrance to the Chinese take away. There was access from the corner of the garden to Foley House grounds. It is believed they were reversed during the Great War in 1916, the year in which Greene, King spent £1,159. 10s. 7d on re-building works, a considerable sum at the time, but unfortunately details of the works were not kept. In 1970 further extensive works were carried out to incorporate several smaller rooms into one larger L shaped public bar, and inside toilets built. In 1977 the garden was purchased from the owners of the Chinese take away and access made from the rear yard. In 1990 the private lounge was incorporated into the bar and the kitchen altered for public catering. 16-10-2018 The licence was surrendered on 16th October 2018, the premises sold and change of use sought for conversion to an Islamic Community Centre |
Year | Licensee | Owner | source |
---|---|---|---|
1727 | Thomas Symonds | Greene, King records | |
1767 | John Griffith | Greene, King records | |
1787 | Chapman's map | ||
1793 | Sarah Griffith (wife of above0 | Greene, King records | |
1798 | Sarah Griffith | directory | |
1804 | John Griffith (son of above) | Chapman's map | |
1805 | sold | Bury Free Press | |
1807 | George Fielding (till 1813) | Thackers of Bury St Edmunds | Greene, King records |
1811 | Tilbrook | records of Daniel Dawson's trial | |
1813 | John Yardley | Henry Braddock Brewery | Greene, King records |
1820 | " " | Tyrell Moody, Brewer, Newmarket | Greene, King records |
1828 | " " | " " | Greene, King records |
1830 | James Webb (died June 1831) | Charles Frederick Moody, Brewer, Newmarket | Greene, King records |
1832 | Jonathan Tilbrook | " " | Pigot |
1832 | above impossible as his will was proven in 1829) | ||
1839 | Robert Moody Hassall | " " | Pigot and Robson directories |
1841 | " " | census | |
1844 | " " | Harriett Moody, (sister of above) | White |
1851 | " " | " " | census |
1855 | " " | " " | White |
1861 | Francis Park | " " | census |
1869 | Samuel Pilbrow | " " | Post Office |
1871 | " " | " " | census |
1873 | from Samuel Pilbrow to Jeremiah G. Rosbrook | " " | Cambridge Independent Press |
1874 | Jeremiah G. Rosbrook | " " | White |
1879 | " " | " " | White |
1881 | " " | " " | census |
1885 | George Martin | " " | Kelly |
1891 | " " | " " | census |
1896 | " " | " " | Kelly |
1896 | George Smart | sold to Greene, King | Greene, King records |
1901 | " " | Greene, King | census |
1911 | " " | " " | census |
1916-1917 | William James Green (manager) | " " | licensing records |
1925-1931 | Willie Faiers (manager) | " " | " " |
1931 | Sidney Howard Welch (manager) | " " | |
1964 | Sidney Howard Welch (tenant) | ||
9-5-1968 | Anthony Howard Pringle (tenant) (grandson of previous) | " " | |
9-5-1991 | Robert Stephen Jack (leasehold) | " " | |
Robert Stephen Jack | sold to Admiral Taverns | ||
23-6-2009 | Helen Jane Greenberry | Admiral Taverns (portfolio No 2) | licensing register |
28-10-1910 | Natalie and Emma Anstee (Ms) | " " | " " |
28-4-2010 | James Meehan Moore | " " | " " |
7-6-2011 | Alan MacKay | temp alcohol ban | Newmarket Journal |
9-8-2011 | Mark James Dawson | " " | " " |
18-6-2012 | Gemma Cromby (Miss) | " " | " " |
25-11-2014 | Claire Elizabeth Dosoruth (Miss) | " " | " " |
16-10-2018 | licence surrendered | sold for an Islamic Community Centre | |
6th November 1827...FIRE 1905 Airborne, 1948 Derby winner 1953, Sid with Arthur Clarke (seated) on the left- Bob Jack thought the place needed brightening up, A new chapter begins
Dick Perryman kept 2 hacks and up to four racehorses in the stables here
The Council thought otherwise !