Kings Head Public House

King's Head, Great North Road, Lower Caldecote

site of former King's Arms Jul 2007

The King's Head public house |stood on the west side of the Great North Road. The first mention of it in any document held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service is in 1812 when adjoining land was sold at auction. The public house was owned by Samuel Wells in 1834 when it was conveyed to Frederick Hogg and William Lindsell, partners in the firm of Wells & Company (a brewery located in Biggleswade and in no way related to the Charles Wells brewery of Bedford). In 1899 Wells & Company became WElls & Winch when bought out by Kent businessman George Winch for his son Edward Bluett Winch. The conveyance of the various licensed premises describes the King's Head as containing a coach house, stable, barn, outbuildings, yard and garden and a close of pasture of 8 acres nearby with a right of herbage upon and from a drift way leading from the orchard of the public house into the close;it also had a close of pasture called Watts Close formerly part of Bryants Field of 3a 0r 10p on west side of Great North Road. The premises also included two plots in Lower Caldecote of 0a 1r 31p and 0a 3r 1op bounded east by the Great North Road and divided from one another by a lane or drift way, they were formerly part of Brown's Field and were in separate occupation to the public house.

In 1927 the premises was valued under the Rating Valuation Act of 1925 [DV1/C/5/15], the valuer found the building contained an old kitchen, living room, tap room, private bar, club room; cellar; four bedrooms and an earth closet. The business had a "good draw up" and sold one barrel of mild, one dozen bottles of beer and half a gallon of whiskey per week; as to takings the licensee "cannot say". The valuer further noted: "house is in good decorative repair, small local trade, travellers do not stop between Biggleswade & Sandy; 1 barrel mild costs £3.14.0 - sold 5d. pint; 1 barrel bitter costs £6.12.0, sold 7d. pint"

The public house is late recorded in a telephone directory held by Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service in 1984, by 1986 it was no longer listed. 

References

- X64/2: Notice of sale (with declaration of purchase by William Simons for £365) of freehold estate near King's Head: 1812;
- CLP13: register of alehouse licences: 1822-1828;
- GK0/1: conveyance of brewery and licensed properties of Samuel Wells of Biggleswade, brewer, deceased to Frederick Hogg and William Lindsell: 1834;
- HF143/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1872-1873;
- HF143/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1874-1877;
- HF143/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1878-1881;
- HF143/4: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1882-1890;
- HF143/5: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1891-1900;
- GK1/36: three sales catalogues bound together: Wells & Company of Biggleswade 1898; Henlow Brewery 1899; Baldock Brewery Limited 1903;
- Z1039/34/2a: conveyance, with other properties, from partners of Wells & company to Wells & Winch: 1899;
- HF143/6: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1900-1914;
- PSBW8/1: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1903-1915;
- DV1/C/5: 1925 Rating Valuation Act survey: 1927;
- PSBW8/2: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade Petty Sessional Division: 1956-1972;
- PSBW8/3: Register of Alehouse Licences - Biggleswade and North Bedfordshire Petty Sessional Divisions: 1976-1980;
- PL/P/MB77/678: plans of proposed building adjoining public house: 1977 

List of Licensees: note that this is not a complete list. Italics indicate licensees whose beginning and/or end dates are not known:

1822-1829: Thomas Pope;
1847-1877: Mark Nesfield Pope;
1877-1885: Joseph Lee;
1885-1890: Joseph Lee jnr.;
1890-1896: James Lee;
1896-1900: William Dilley;
1900-1907: Henry Brinklow;
1907-1909: Susan Brinklow;
1909-1928: Charles William Bowles;
1932-1960: William Arthur Brooks;
1960-1964: Frederick Odey;
1964-1971: Cyril John Harris;
1971-1977: Charles William Hines