The Olde Bell, Hurley

For other establishments with this name, see Old Bell.
The Olde Bell
General information
Type Hotel, pub
Architectural style Elizabethan[1]
Address High Street
Town or city Hurley, Berkshire
Country England
Coordinates 51°32′46″N 0°48′36″E / 51.5461°N 0.8100°E / 51.5461; 0.8100
Renovated 17th, 19th and 20th century
Landlord Tej and Sarina Dhillon
Technical details
Material Timber frame, painted brick infill, old tile gabled roof
Floor count 2
Other information
Number of rooms 48
Website
www.theoldebell.co.uk

The Olde Bell is a hotel and public house in Hurley, Berkshire, England, located on the bank of the River Thames.

History

The Old Bell was founded in 1135 as the hostelry of Hurley Priory, making it one of the oldest hotels in the world.[2][3][4] The coaching inn expanded in the 12th century to include a tithe barn and dovecote.[5] The hotel contains a secret tunnel leading to the village priory which was used by John Lovelace, who was involved in the Glorious Revolution to overthrow King James II in the 17th century.[2][5] The hotel was also used as a meeting point for Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II.[5] Due to 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.[2][4]

Description

The Olde Bell buildings are Grade II* listed.[6] The hotel has interiors designed by Ilse Crawford.[4][7]

References

  1. ↑ Scarborough, Eliza (2013-06-06). "Checking in at the The Olde Bell, Berkshire and The Crown in Bucks". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  2. 1 2 3 Gerrie, Anthea (2012-03-05). "10 hotel rooms where history was made". CNN. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  3. ↑ Gould, Kevin (13 June 2009). "The Olde Bell". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 O'Connor, Joanne (2011-11-11). "The inn crowd". The Financial Times. Retrieved 2015-04-22.
  5. 1 2 3 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.
  6. ↑ Historic England. "Ye Olde Bell Hotel  (Grade II*) (1156153)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
  7. ↑ Williams, Zoe (2013-08-20). "The Olde Bell, Hurley, restaurant review". Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-04-22.

External links

Coordinates: 51°32′46″N 0°48′36″W / 51.546147°N 0.809992°W / 51.546147; -0.809992


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