Horndon-on-the-HIll - Bell Inn

The Bell Inn at Horndon on the Hill, had something of a chequered early history. In 1553, the ground to the rear of the Inn bore witness to the burning at the stake for heresy, of a local landowner, Thomas Highbed. An historical society plaque fixed to the front of the building commemorates the grizzly event. Happily, it wasn't long before weary travellers were receiving, if not warmer, then certainly more friendly hospitality. The impressive architecture of the building with it's courtyard (awash in summer with magnificent flowers), balcony and archway entrance reveal its prime business in those early days as a 'coaching inn' providing sustenance and accommodation for travellers on their way south to ford the Thames at Highams causeway. Inside the building, the original king post is still in place carrying roof timbers over a thousand years old. The longevity of the building has clearly had some impact on the proprietors who have held the Bell in the same family for well over seventy years. John and Christine Vereker are second generation incumbents having taken over from Christine's parents in 1970, who in turn took the Bell in 1938, finding it without electricity or running