Fox & Hounds PH - Barley, Herts

[foulsham]

The Fox & Hounds pub, Barley,  was burned down in 1952(?) The gallows style sign was damaged and, I believe) ended up in a Hertfordshire museum.
Can anyone confirm?

Foulsham

[Rick]

Hi Foulsham

According to "Hertfordshire Inns & Public Houses an historical gazetteer" by Graham Joliffe & Arthur Jones.  Published by Hertfordshire Publications.  ISBN 0-901354-79-1.

......."The pub was originally called the Swan and was re-named in 1820.  The Fox and Hounds was distinguished by a "Gallows" signboard which bridged the main road and depicted 2 horesmen and 5 hounds chasing the fox into the thatch of the building.  This house burned down in 1950.  In 1955, the Waggon and Horses changed its name to the Fox & Hounds and the licence and sign were transferred.  Now the inn sign spans the road beside the inn, which leads out of the High Street to Chishill........"

Additional Source; JC Wilkerson. Barley: an English Village. 1979.

Whether this sign is the restored original or a copy is not noted. However, it does rather sound like it is the original. This would seem to be the case according to this account about the history of the village.

http://www.barley-village.co.uk/the_village.htm

Rick

[foulsham]

Hi Rick, Thanks for your reply and information The reason I asked about the museum is because I remember reading in The Royston Crow, early 70s I think, an article about it and a photograph of it in a museum.

I have a photo(Taken by Clarke of Royston) of the pub taken the morning after the fire which shows that a quarter to one third of the sign had been destroyed. A close examination of the original sign and the present sign shows a complete difference in the shape of the huntsmen, hounds and fox.
Thanks again for your interest.
Foulsham

[Rick]

Hi Foulsham

In that case it does sound as though either the sign was restored beyond recognition or a new one was made. However, according to Chris Reynolds' Genealogy in Hertfordshire site "The public house at the southern end of the High Street is the Wagon and Horses, it was renamed The Fox and Hounds and a similar sign was put across the entrance to Church End."

http://www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk/data/places/barley/barley-frame.htm

So it might be worth contacting the Royston and District Local History Society and the Royson Museum to find out what happened to the original sign. Failing that perhaps HALS might know.

http://www.royston.clara.net/localhistory/

http://www.roystonmuseum.org.uk/

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,292382.0.html

Rick

[foulsham]

Hi Rick,
Thanks for that I'll follow those through.
Foulsham

[Barley History Recorder]

Hi
I'm the Barley village Historical Recorder and am trying to put together a collection of the many old images of the village.  I read your post whre you mentioned having a photo of the Fox and Hounds taken just after the 1950 fire.  I have never seen this. Is it possible for you to email a copy  I also noticed you requested some info on John Rutherford Gardener.  Do you still want this as I have a large amount of information on all the Rectors of the parish?

[traceyhurkett]

I was interested to read this post as have links to Barley as my grandmother Olive Chuck was born there. Visited Barely yesterday with my great aunt who is 92 and was born in Barely. Lovely to visit church and see some ancestors grave. I would be interested to know what happened to Rev Gardiner as I hear that he was defrocked...my aunt tells me there was some sort of scandal?