The Street

St Nicholas at Wade

Above photo taken from Google Maps 2011. Bell sign May 1986. Above with thanks from Brian Curtis www.innsignsociety.com

The Bell Inn has a relatively modern frontage, but the interior cross-beams give away the Tudor origins. The earliest reference to the Inn is 1622, when the landlord was William Chambers.

Reference has also been found in the Wingham Division Ale Licence list, which shows the "Bell," St Nicholas, to be granted a new licensed for the sum of 16 shillings in 1740.

The Bell Inn has a history of smuggling activity. When William of Orange was en route to Holland, he described St Nicholas as having a smuggling fraternity. A tunnel reputedly led from the pub’s cellar to the church, where contraband was discovered in the storeroom, the key to which was in the possession of the landlord of the "Bell."

By 1777 the pub was leased to the Cobb Brewery in Margate. In 1798 Cobb acquired the freehold from the Bridges family.

Over the centuries the "Bell Inn" has been used for all sorts of parish business, from auctions to vestry meetings and even coroner’s inquests.

LICENSEE LIST

CHAMBERS William 1622.

JOHNCOCK James 1740+

BRETT Edwin 1847+ (carpenter & victualler)

NASH Richard 1858+

JARMAN Thomas 1899+

HADDAWAY Albert Edward 1903+

CARLINE Frederick Leonard 1913-34+

BROWN Joseph Matthew 1938+

???? Danny & Marion 2011+

From Wingham Division Ale Licences 1740 Ref: KAO - QRLV 3/1

From Bagshaw Directory 1847

From Melville's Directory 1858

From the Kelly's Directory 1899

From the Post Office Directory 1918

From the Post Office Directory 1922

From the Post Office Directory 1930

From the Kelly's Directory 1934

From the Post Office Directory 1938