Blunham Village Web Site.

BLUNHAM PUBS

By Bill Exley

My research of the Blunham Public Houses and Beer Houses of bygone years, came about by interesting observations made by an old Blunham Gent called Ernest Jeffries. We used to walk slowly up The Hill due to his advanced years, and he would point out old sites to me with his walking stick. I then got the bug to compile a comprehensive listing using Bedford archive records held at County Hall, together with visits to the Brewers of Charles Wells of Bedford and Greene King at Biggleswade. The project started in 1985 taking a year with visits in my spare time after work at Texas Instruments Ltd., then in Bedford, and it was here I met Colin Hinson, the web-master for the Blunham web site.

Colin asked me if the Queen's Head closed as a pub in 1926. I make this the closing date, when Herbert Currant left it to go to the Horse Shoes for 30 yrs. However I couldn't categorically state no other owner went in as I have gaps and only names and records I came across in my researches. Another slight twinge of doubt is the description for the Wheatsheaf, I assumed it was a Beerhouse and not a Pub for Beer sales (Beerhouses had no Bar). I also thought that Beerhouses had phased out by the 1920's, though there were exceptions e.g. 'The Oak' 1958 and the 'Quaint' Beerhouse in Ravensden 'The Case Is Altered ' closing during the 1990's.
Bill Exley, April 2004

There is currently (2011) only one pub left in Blunham:-

• The Horseshoes

There used to be a further seven pubs in Blunham! In order of closing (most recent first) they were:

• The Salutation.(2011)
• The Railway Inn (or Railway Tavern) (2000)
• The White Horse (1986)
• The Oak (1958)
• The Queen's Head (1926)
• The Crown (1919)
• The Wheatsheaf (1912)

Greene King and Charles Wells Brewers
Bedford Borough Council Archives for access to records
Colin Hinson for all his work and inputs.

Page last updated 8th December 2011, by Colin Hinson/Bill Exley.