The Bell in the 1970s

There used to be  four public houses in Helmdon, but only the Fat Landlord, formerly The Bell, survives. It has always been called a "free house", which means it was never tied to a brewery and thus bound to supplying the ales that the brewery produced.

For the first years of its life it was called the King William IV so it is not fanciful to think that it was first licensed during his reign (1830-37). The first recorded beerhouse keeper was John Pratt, whose family had lived in the village since the seventeenth century. He was licensed in 1841 and was the landlord for at least 38 years.

The 1861 census refers to the King William IV as "the Queen", most lilkely because Victoria was on the throne, but in 1884, at the time it was taken over by the Leamington Brewery Co, it changed its name to The Bell, presumably because it was the pub nearest to the church. In 1934 it came into private hands and has stayed that way ever since. In January 2018 Richard Phillips, who has been the landlord for many years, changed its name to The Fat Landlord..

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