The Merry Bells
Copy of postcard (from Hinton Collection) circa 1914, also replacing the road surface in 1910 from article in Oxford Journal - original in newspaper box.
Since the building of the new turnpike road from Oxford to London in 1775, trade had slumped. The village had become a refuge for rough quarry workers, highwaymen and students. In fact, if you fancied a pint of beer and a punch-up, it seems that Wheatley had been the place to go. The change in Wheatley’s profile began by the banning guns and dogs in 1834, followed by a halt to bull-baiting and badger-baiting.The Temperance Movement resulted in the building of the Merry Bells as a temperance hotel in 1888 by Dorothy Miller (photo shown) of Shotover House. It was a coffee house with ‘two large meeting rooms, a refreshment bar, a bathroom, cubicles, commercial and travellers rooms and stable accommodation for four horses’. Bought as a village hall in 1970.
According to the records the manager at its opening was Mr Ayling, followed in 1891 by Mary Miller or, according to the Kelly Directory John Miller. In 1895 it was run by Joseph Gould, in 1901 by Ernest Turner and his wife Blanche, in 1908 by Henry Atherton and his wife (see next paragraph), and in 1911 by George Silvester and his wife Emily.
An article in the Oxford Journal on 21 October 1893 included the following accolade about The Merry Bells which was a place of meeting which formed
‘a centre for every good work as well as for necessary recreation. No country village in England possessed so perfect a building as that in which they wero assembled; so far from being intended to injure anybody it was built to be a help to every class. It had not as yet taken its proper position as the natural centre for educational purposes for all kinds, of lectures of an instructive nature (such as were now supplied by the County Council), for night school, musical meetings, temperance entertainments, as well as being the natural home of all those societies that had a more directly religious object, such as the Mother’s Union, the Girls’ Friendly Society, the Sons of Temperance, the Church of England Temperance Society, and many others.’
In 1908 there were two groups, led by Henry Atherton (then manager of the Temperance Hotel) and Mrs Atherton, with the Men's Mutual Improvement Class shown in record 2446, and the Ladies' Wednesday Afternoon Class, record 246.
A history of the Merry Bells, written by Michael Heaton in 2020, is one of the files which can be accessed.
The Merry Bells Management committee were shown in the 1977 Jubilee booklet.
On its centenary in 1988, an 80-page booklet of photos, history and recollections was published. many of the photos are shown in the archive reproduced from the original prints.
There is an undated plan of the interior of the building.
See 1554 for collection of Hinton postcards.
- The Women’s Wednesday Afternoon Class in Wheatley 1908
- Origins of the Archive Room 2002
- Centenary of The Merry Bells 1888 -1988
- Centenary of The Merry Bells 1888 - 1988
- The Merry Bells
- The Merry Bells
- The Merry Bells
- The Merry Bells
- Barclays Bank High Street
- Barclays Bank, 93 High Street
- Merry Bells forecourt
- The Hinton Collection of early postcards of Wheatley - 1913-1915
- The Merry Bells and surroundings from the air
- Merry Bells bought by the village of Wheatley
- Senior Citizens Coffee Room records
- Painting of Merry Bells by John B Nicholls
- Embroidered panel of Merry Bells
- Merry Bells and Post Office/shop
- Merry Bells
- Men's Mutual Improvement Class 1908
- Centenary of the Merry Bells 1988 booklet all photos
- Bruce Shepherd's memories of Wheatley
- 50th anniversary of Wheatley's ownership of the Merry Bells
- The sub sorting office in Wheatley