Further Info on Fox & Hounds, Tilburstow Hill

Fox & Hounds, Tilburstow Hill.

Built in 1358, this house has an inglenook fireplace, but is missing the fire-back (see posting under Whyte Harte, Bletchingley.)

The Fox used to be the haunt of smugglers who stopped there on their run from the coast to London. There was an incident in 1815, when smugglers were caught there by the King's Men, which was afterwards known as "The Tilbuster Battle".

Superstition proclaims that a hive of bees is lucky. Luck must certainly be in plenty at the Fox, for a hive remains there and history has proved that there has been a hive in the gable of the pub since the 1700's. (Surrey Pubs. Richard Keeble. Batsford press. 1965. pps 108/9)

MISC Information on Bell, and Hare & Hounds pub

The Bell, Godstone.

The little grocers next door to the Bell used to be the Rose & Crown, where the grooms and the coachmen rested while the travellers stayed at the more luxurious Bell.

One night, in 1764, all the horses died from the poisoned water in the trough of the Bell; to this day it has not been discovered how the poison got there.

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Hare & Hounds, Godstone.

One previous landlord used to be an undertaker and perhaps thinking of his days of the "wooden box" he named his bars the "oak bar" and the "pine bar"; For a while he conducted both trades at the same time, but had to give up undertaking as it tended to frighten his "live" customers away! Apparently, he used to walk about in a butcher's striped apron.