The Malt Shovel Inn was in Lavender Square and sold Belcher and Habgood's noted Ales & Stout. They also kept pigs and sold sausages and bacon and also vinegar from a barrel. Still called the Malt Shovel it is now a private dwelling with great care taken to make sure the frontage is a delight to see in all seasons.
The Malt Shovel had a malthouse probably by the mid 18th century when it was owned by the maltster John Minchin, and passed later to John Ward, maltster, and to Ward's son-in-law Richard Hambidge, maltster and spirit merchant, before becoming a public house in the 1870s. (from Victoria County History)
Mr & Mrs Harry Sollis owned and ran the Swan Inn in Buckland road for many years. In the last few years, Mrs Sollis ran it as a widow. Emmie Papworth, nee Bishop was a relative and adored Mrs Sollis; Emmie is seen with her in two of these pictures and her son Tom is with them in one of them. Mrs Sollis eventually sold The Swan by auction October 1st 1964; it was bought by Tim Tomlins.
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.
The Eagle Inn in Church View, Sadly, it closed in January 1992. It was the head quarters of the Bampton Traditional Morris Men when Francis Shergold was squire of the side. It was a happy place with darts, aunt sally, a garden and a one time a piano in the bar.
In 1973 the New Inn on Bampton's High Street was re-named The Morris Clown. It was a very contentious issue because the jester in the Bampton Morris has never been called a Clown, always a Fool. That piece of history cut no mustard with the Brewery, Courage (Central) which is a pity. Now 48 years on, this perceived poorly renaming is hardly ever mentioned but there are still those who feel the name should be corrected.
