Pubs of the past uncovered in Westbury

Historic pubs and inns are going under the spotlight in a special talk and slide show on Tuesday 25th July at the hall of the United Reformed Church off Warminster Road – and everyone’s invited! 

People can hear about the days when there were more than 20 hostelries in the town, the drink of choice could be gin and sugared water, and the inns were often the venue for everything from inquests to strike meetings.

Sally Hendry who chairs the town’s heritage society, has been researching pubs open and closed, and says they are a fascinating peek into Westbury’s social history.

“We find a myriad of stories from riotous dinners through to robberies. There were publicans fined for watering down their beer, serving out of hours and allowing illicit gaming,” said Sally who will be sharing the findings at the talk which is part of this year’s Westbury Festival.

And she is hoping local residents will come along with their own memories of pubs that have closed in recent times – The Oak, The White Lion and The George are just a few.

The hall of the United Reformed Church has a car park reached via Hospital Road. The talk starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £4. You can pay on the door or via the Westbury Festival website at www.westburyfestival.org.uk

Following the talk, the many photographs used will then form part of a slide show on the screen at Westbury Museum. Find out more at www.westburyheritagesociety.org.uk