Six Bells Inn

The Six Bells Inn was one of Clun's oldest pubs, dating back to the 1700s and remained a public house until a fire gutted the building in January 1915 during WW1, following which it was demolished. Sadly these days, it seems commonplace for pubs that cease to trade, particularly those occupying large plots suitable for redevelopment to fall victim to unexplained fire, leading to enforced demolition on health and safety grounds, and whilst the Six Bell's fate was sealed over a century ago it may be more than coincidental that the Inn was closed by the licensing magistrates and referred to the compensation authority under the Licensing Act of 1904 just a year before the fire.

This piece of legislation was significant and resulted in thousands of pubs and beerhouses around Britain being "referred for compensation" i.e. renewal of the license was refused under the guidelines of the Act and compensation granted for the closure of the business.  This was something heavily influenced by the temperance movement of the time, and in Clun they had a significant presence themselves. 

The earliest recorded reference I can find for the Inn is from 1831 and the gazette clippings below showing the landlord, an 'R Thomas' was declared bankrupt...thankfully, later occupants had more success behind the bar.

Perrys Bankrupt Gazette 10 September 1831

Perrys Bankrupt Gazette 15 October 1831

Hereford Journal 31 March 1841

Listed landlords at the Six Bells were John Davies (1776-1810), Benjamin Davies (1800-01), Elizabeth Davies (1822-23), Evan Davies (1824-27), R Thomas (-1831), Evan Davies (1841-), Edwin Taylor (1851-59), Matthew Collings (1861-), John Gough (1880), Edward Makelin (1881-94) and John Roberts (1895-1914).

1841 Census - Evan Davies

Hereford Journal 05 May 1841

Pigot's 1842 Directory - Evan Davies

Shrewsbury Chronicle 11 March 1842

A view down Church Street, the fencing on the right
marking the previous plot of the Six Bells Inn

Shrewsbury Chronicle 07 April 1843

Hereford Journal 30 December 1846

Hereford Journal 06 January 1847

Kelly's 1851 Directory Edwin Taylor

1851 Census - Edwin Taylor

Postcard of Church Street c.1890s

Slater's 1859 Directory - Edwin Taylor

1861 Census - Matthew Collings

Slater's 1868 Directory - Matthew Collings

Shrewsbury Chronicle 10 January 1868

1871 Census - Matthew Collings

St George's Church at the top of Church |Street

To the left of the photo above can seen the old barn and outbuildings that were part of the Six Bells, the only surviving section of the Inn after the fire in 1915.

Slater's 1880 Directory - John Gough

The 1880 directory confirmed a new landlord was ensconced behind the bar, a John Gough, whilst the previous one, Matthew Collings had moved across town to run the Castle Inn.

1881 Census - Edward Makelin

1883 OS Map of Church Street

Six Bells in the late 1800s

1891 Census - Edward Makelin

Wellington Journal 12 November 1892

Edward Makelin died in Clun in 1894 and was quickly succeeded by John Roberts, who then saw out its existence as a public house for the next 20 years until the licence was revoked in 1914. John Roberts was also a monumental stone mason, a job he ran alongside the pub.

1895 Kelly's Directory - John Roberts

1901 Census - John Roberts

1901 OS Map

Ludlow Advertiser 27 July 1907

Wellington Journal 24 April 1909

1911 Census - John Roberts

Shrewsbury Chronicle 23 January 1914

Shrewsbury Chronicle 20 February 1914

Shrewsbury Chronicle 17 July 1914

Shrewsbury Chronicle 14 May 1915

Globe 01 February 1915

These days the site has been redeveloped as a residential site, the new dwelling retaining the name, the 'Six Bells'.

After John Roberts' departure from the Inn he continued to live in the town, plying his trade as a stone mason until his death in 1941 at the grand old age of 81 years.

Kelly's 1934 Directory - John Roberts

Shrewsbury Chronicle 30 October 1936