Lansdowne Arms

In 1841, the Great Western Railway was built from London Paddington to Chippenham. As it does today – the railway offered a fast and reliable route to London. Lord Lansdowne, commissioned Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament, to build a new lodge on the western perimeter of the park at the point closest to Chippenham station.

The result was the Golden Gates - built on the site of the original Lansdowne Arms (formally the Shelburne Arms). The old Lansdowne Arms was demolished and the new pub was built on its current site in 1843. The Grade II listed pub is built of ironstone with ashlar dressings, stone slate roof and ornate ashlar Tudor style chimney stacks.

In his memoirs the Reverend Stafford Brown (the first vicar of Derry Hill) noted that before Christ Church was built in 1840, drinking had prevailed to a fearful extent at Derry Hill – with numerous public houses spread across Derry Hill and Studley. Whilst the Reverend Brown and his wife waited for the Vicarage to be built on Church Road, they were accommodated in an old pub which may have been the defunct old Lansdowne Arms. He describes how the sign had been removed and the interior thoroughly whitewashed. The old pub had a porch and had been made to assume quite a comfortable appearance. Stafford Brown particularly noted in his memoir that this had been the third public house that had been closed in just three years.

One of very first landlords of the new Lansdowne Arms was William Smith from Derbyshire accompanied by his wife Elizabeth. In 1851 records note that the Smiths kept lodgers in some of the 6 rooms they had upstairs. Two of the lodgers were Susannah Underwood a nurse from Stoke and a 2-year-old child in her care called Emily Colston from Oxford (wonder what the back story to that is?). In late 1851 the Smiths moved on and the advert was put into the newspapers seeking a new landlord to take on the pub.

Henry and Jane Stadden arrived from Stepney, London to run the pub in 1852. By all accounts they were the life and soul of Derry Hill. On the 11th January 1859 the Derry Hill Church Choir gave their annual concert in the Lansdowne Arms. A grand piano had been transported from Bath by Mr Milsom free of charge just for the evening. Reverend Fletcher led the programme of entertainment with the Curate of Derry Hill performing ‘non piu Andrai’ and ‘Figaro’. The evening ended with a rousing chorus of ‘God save the Queen’!

Tragedy struck later in 1859 when Henry died of consumption at the age of 48. He was buried in Christ Church graveyard (very near the main door) on 10th November 1859. Sadly the Henry’s headstone is weathering and recently fell in two. Jane took on the pub as Landlady at the age of 45 - continuing to serve the village and to care for her children. Tragically, death came calling at the pub in 1864 and took Jane, leaving her children as orphans. The probate records show Jane had provided for her children - with one of the main beneficiaries being her brother in Marlborough who then cared for her children.

By July 1892, the Nimrod Stagecoach stopped regularly at the Lansdowne Arms on route to Bath. Pulled by a team of 4 horses’, passengers could sit inside or atop of the carriage. Each day (except Sundays) the Nimrod would depart the Bear Hotel in Devizes at 10:45 and (via Rowde and Sandy Lane) arrive at the Lansdowne Arms at 11:25. Passengers would alite and proceed to Bath arriving by 13:30. The return journey left Bath at 16:00 – expecting to arrive at the Lansdowne Arms at 17:55.

In 1898 the pub hosted a New Years Eve celebration. Mr John Hayter was the Landlord and had issued invitations to many residents from the local ‘hamlet’. These were joined by a party of 20 from Devizes. ‘Auld Lang Syne’ was heartily sang at midnight by the company with clasped hands. The New Year was welcomed with good wishes for prosperity and happiness being expressed. I am guessing the party from Devizes staggered towards home on a very dark road.

By the early 1900’s cycling was a widespread past time. The Lansdowne Arms was a regular stop for cycle excursions from Bath – cyclists wearing jackets, shirts and ties and their trousers tucked into their knee length socks.

Throughout this time the local Hunt would use the green in the front of the pub as a meeting point – an activity of its time in history, with weekly reports in the newspapers advertising the fact. The papers would detail some hunts – the direction, speed and who was involved. The hunt would continue to meet into the 1950’s – a real spectacle for the locals.

In the 1940’s the pub hosted the Derry Hill Home Guard. There is a photo of the Home Guard pictured outside the Lansdowne Arms. Front and centre in the photo is Reverend Basil Palmer (9th Vicar of Derry Hill). The Home Guard were mobilised to protect the village from possible German attack. There is the story of oil drums buried halfway down Old Derry Hill by the Home Guard that could be filled with petrol and set alight to help repel German attack from the Chippenham direction.

By 1953 and Mr and Mrs Norfolk ran the pub – moving the Dumb Post in 1955.

By the 1970s Evelyn and Penny Jones ran the pub. Penny’s Steak pies were legendary.

Between 1998 and 2003 John and Karin Chester ran the pub. In April 2005 following John’s death, a tribute was paid by Karin, saying “John always said Derry Hill was a village full of genuine people, We enjoyed our time there very much. He enjoyed raising money for the school and liked to get involved with the community. I think that is how people will remember him”.

Since 2003 there have been c.15 managers running the Lansdowne Arms. Today the Lansdowne Arms has its doors open once again and is providing a very warm welcome to all passing travellers and locals.