Ye Olde Bell & Steelyard, New Street, Woodbridge

Image: © Jo and Steve Turner Taken: 18 Jun 2017

Grade I Listed inn probably constructed at the same time as New Street in 1550 as a terraced block of dwelling houses. The steelyard overhanging the road still exists and was in use immediately after the Second World War. The Steelyard, one of only two surviving in situ, is simply a weighing machine and is basically the forerunner to the public weighbridge. It was probably added in 1680. It was taken to London for an exhibition in 1879 and then reinstated. With a capacity of 3 tons it was last known to have been used to weigh an item in 1959. A tithe map of 1841 records 'The Fox Inn' on this site and is the first time an 'inn' appears on maps. With insufficient land for stabling it is unlikely to have been an 'Inn' in the traditional sense. This suggests that Ye Olde Bell & Steelyard only became an 'inn' between 1827 and 1841, however this topic is widely disputed. Several historians suggest that this building was a public house from the mid seventeenth century. Having been 'The Fox Inn' it has variously been known as 'Bluebell', 'Bell', 'Stillyards', and 'The Three Goats'. Directory entries include; 1839 Samuel Oxborrow, Fox; 1855 William Stannard, Bell; 1869 James Ponder, Bell; 1891-1892 Mrs Mary Ann Ponder, Bell; 1900 Henry Tagget, Bell; 1901 not listed but H Tagget, Beer Seller is; 1912 Richard Waspe, Bell (& marine store dealer).

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