The Elephant and Castle Inn was a thatched building until fire ripped through it September 30th 1958. The following day firemen Son Townsend from Castle View farm and Cyril Weeks from the Horse Shoe went to help clear up and in the photo the two boys are also from the Horse Shoe Inn in Bampton.
At one time in late C20th Joan and Lionel were the landlord and landlady and they can be seen behind the bar with Dora Townsend, sister of Son the fireman.
The Elephant & Castle Inn after the fire in September 1958. It was started by a rocket firework let off well before bonfire night. People with thatched roofs used to soak them with a hose pipe before the evening on a bonfire night if it hadn't rained.
The Elephant and Castle in Bridge Street before the fire in 1958 after which it was rebuilt with a tiled roof. A protective wall was built in front of it in the 1970s to stop people from spilling out and straight on to the road. The handsome Elm tree in the background was lost to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970s.
The Elephant and Castle Inn on Bridge Street.
A horse and cart outside the Elephant & Castle on Bridge Street, circa 1940s Elephant and Castle date unknown but a fire destroyed the roof in 1958 and was replaced with stone tiles. [postcard].
Elephant and Castle with Mrs Penny at the door
Ducks on Mill Green with Bridge House on the left next to The Elephant and Castle in the background.
Joan & Lionel, landlords of the Elephant & Castle, with Dora Townsend in the middle
Firemen clearing up Sept 30th 1958 after the fire at the Elephant and Castle. Son Townsend from across the road at Castle Farm and Cyril Weeks. The two boys from the Horse Shoe Inn.
The Elephant and Castle Inn with no wall in front to stop people falling out of the door straight into the road in 1965. The two bay windows have also gone now.

Bampton Morris dancers c1924/5 outside the Elephant & Castle.

The sign over the pub door says Posting House, Horses, Carriages, Brakes. Personal attention given, Albert Townsend. The 3rd and 4th lines are hard to read which is a pity but it looks like 'For Hire All Trains Met On The Shortest Notice.

On 23rd September 1935 the Townsend family moved across the road to Castle View and made a farm of it having much more room to fatten more pigs.

Horse Shoe, 1910. Two ladies and a dog in the doorway

Picture postcard across the east end of the Market Square showing part of the Town Hall, The Drapers, The Talbot and Hythe House. It is addressed to Mrs W. J. Johnson at Syringa Cottage in Aston post dated September 28th 1905

Five handwritten Indenture Legal Documents relating to the sales and mortgages of the Swan Inn and adjoining land dating from 1823 to 1831, Also mentions Turnpike Gate and Kents Weir Gate.
Named in the documents are
John Wright
Rachel Bradshaw Clinch
Mary Vines
William Walcroft
Edward Fisher
Thomas Breakspeare
Edward Fisher
John Roberts
William Hanbury
Henry Whitaker
James Ward
Jonathan Arnatt

This post card shows a picture of Jean and Peter Elliot who owned and ran the Talbot Inn in the Market Square on the left and Maurice and Rene Wiggins who ran the Horse Shoe Inn seen on the right.