The Olde Bell is a hotel and public house in Hurley, Berkshire, England, on the bank of the River Thames. It is claimed to be the oldest hotel in the UK, and one of the oldest hotels in the world.
| The Olde Bell | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
  Location within Berkshire | |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel, pub |
| Architectural style | Elizabethan |
| Address | High Street |
| Town or city | Hurley, Berkshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°32′46″N 0°48′36″W / 51.5461°N 0.8100°W |
| Renovated | 17th, 19th and 20th century |
| Landlord | Emina Estates Ltd |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Timber frame, painted brick infill, old tile gabled roof |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 48 |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
editThe Olde Bell was founded in 1135 as the hostelry of Hurley Priory, making it one of the oldest hotels in the world.[1][2][3] The coaching inn expanded in the 12th century to include a tithe barn and dovecote.[4] The hotel is said to contain a secret tunnel leading to the village priory[1] which was used by John Lovelace, who was involved in the Glorious Revolution to overthrow King James II in the 17th century.[4] The hotel was also used as a meeting point for Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II.[4] Because of its proximity to Pinewood Studios, the inn has seen a number of movie-star guests, including Mae West, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.[1][3]
Description
editThe Olde Bell buildings are Grade II* listed.[5] The hotel has interiors designed by Ilse Crawford.[3][6]
References
edit- ^ a b c Gerrie, Anthea (5 March 2012). "10 hotel rooms where history was made". CNN. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- ^ Gould, Kevin (13 June 2009). "The Olde Bell". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
- ^ a b c O'Connor, Joanne (11 November 2011). "The inn crowd". The Financial Times. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- ^ a b c Fisher, Stuart (24 October 2013). British River Navigations: Inland Cuts, Fens, Dikes, Channels and Non-tidal Rivers. A&C Black. p. 222. ISBN 978-1-4729-0668-7. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- ^ Historic England. "Ye Olde Bell Hotel (Grade II*) (1156153)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ^ Williams, Zoe (20 August 2013). "The Olde Bell, Hurley, restaurant review". Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
External links
edit
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