Ring o’ Bells

Located in Oxford Street near where the entrance to Lidl's now is.
Located in Oxford Street near where the entrance to Lidl now is.

In correspondence to The Burnham Gazette in 1940 it is described as at some time going under the names of ‘Gardeners Arms’ and ‘Chimes’, and colloquially ‘The Two steps Down’ presumably due to it’s low foundation. One correspondent recalls stories of his youth about the tavern being a rendezvous for smugglers, and also of it being haunted by a fat sailor in search of gold for which he had been murdered at sea. It was one of Burnham’s original buildings, (its age demonstrated by its cob walls) until its demolition following inundation by the floods of 1981.

Above, early 20th century, the archway over the gas works entrance can be seen just beyond the pub.

Below, an illustration of the ancient wattle & daub building technique used in the original construction, photographed during demolition.

Clipping courtesy of Toni Grigsby.

The cream coloured cottage to the left of the pub was added later as accommodation for the landlord and still remains. The pub stood on what is now the front of the Lidl car park. The entrance drive to Lidl was cut through where Burnham Motors (top picture, at right) once stood.

Pub football club badge

2 thoughts on “Ring o’ Bells”

  1. When Burnham Motor Company purchased the old Ring o Bells site after the flood, it was purchased from Whitbread if I remember correctly with the understanding that a pub could not be re-opened on the same site and the house attached had to be made good. The whole site was purchased for £40,000. Hardson’s builders pulled the pub down and made the house into a stand alone dwelling. The house was sold for about £28,000. There was still some thatch in the roof joint where the two buildings were joined together. The garage had plans drawn up for a car showroom to replace the pub, but alas, when the Honda franchise was surrendered it never got built. Early 2020 the house was up for re-sale.

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