Bell Inn, Nottingham

The Bell is a Grade II listed building (No. 1271441) and is located in Nottingham City Council's Old Market Square Conservation Area. The Bell has an heritage interior rated by CAMRA as being of Some Regional Importance: "This late 15th century pub was re-fronted in c.1820 including 'Bell Inn' in relief letters. Most of the remaining historic fittings are from changes in 1928 situated in the two small rooms on the first floor now called the Belfry and laid out for diners so best to visit at a quiet time. The front room has fielded panelling to picture-frame height, a 1938 Tudor stone arch shaped fireplace with good panelled mantelpiece now painted grey (the bar counter here is modern) and some colourful stained and leaded windows; the rear room more fielded panelling to picture-frame height and it has a good plasterwork ceiling. On the ground floor at the end of a narrow flagged central corridor with bars each side you will find the main bar. It is situated in a 1928 extension, that was also extended back in modern times, and retains some original panelling but most of the fittings are modern. The only old items in the two front bars (one of which was formerly a wine shop) are the colourful stained and leaded windows from 1928. The other notable item to view is the vaulted rock-hewn cellar claimed to date from the 12th century and with rock pillars - guided tours are available so ring the pub for details." https://pubheritage.camra.org.uk) The Bell has an entry on Nottingham City Council's Historic Environment Record (HER) number MNU 425 and the cave cellars are recorded as MNU 9 (and British Geological Survey Ab2). Origins of the Name: Possibly from the De Angelus bell of the Carmelite Friary (cf. location on Angel Row). Equally possible is the area to the north of Angel Row and Market Square being associated with Oldfield's bell founding works (possibly also of monastic origin). In the mid C19 there were three further pubs in the immediate area of Oldfield’s works named the Bell:- on Parliament Street (now Blue Bell); in Pennell’s Yard (Bell Tavern) and in Swan’s Yard (Railway Bell Tavern) (see Nottingham Drinker 117). The former publican William Clarke (1798 - 1856), publican of the Bell Inn and first-class cricketer. He married Mary Chapman, the landlady of the Trent Bridge Inn, and they arranged for the land behind the inn to be made available. He opened the enclosed Trent Bridge cricket ground behind the inn and, from July 1840, it became the main venue for Nottinghamshire matches instead of the Forest racecourse, which was not enclosed. A stand at Trent Bridge has been named after Clarke and the pub bears a green Nottingham Civic Society plaque in his honour. In 1998, a Time Team spin-off, the "History Hunters", investigated the competing claims of the Bell, the Salutation and the Trip to find out which was the earliest pub. The programme concluded that although the Salutation was the oldest building of the three, the Bell was the earlier pub. The town's Alehouse Recognizances for 1756 show the publican to be one George Harrison, surety being provided by cordwainer Edward Hancock and linen draper John Smalley (NFHS Record Series Volume 94). Dedrochronology has dated roof timbers to circa 1430. Sometime before 1271, the Whitefriars (Order of Carmelites) established a friary on what is now Friar Lane with lands that included a guesthouse on the site of what is now the Bell Inn. The building was constructed as a refectory for the monks of the monastery on Beastmarket Hill. It is presumed that it became a secular alehouse in 1539, following the Dissolution of the Monasteries. (https://pubheritage.camra.org.uk) [Nottingham City Council; Castle Ward / Nottingham South Parliamentary Constituency]