The Gilpin's Bell

The name of this Wetherspoon pub recalls the Bell Inn, which stood on the west side of Fore Street. The old pub was immortalised by William Cowper in his best-selling 18th-century ballad 'The Diverting History of John Gilpin'.

Cowper had studied law and was appointed Clerk of the Journals to the House of Lords, but he suffered a breakdown and had to leave. Plagued by depression for a great part of his life, it was during one of these bouts that Lady Austen relayed the tale of John Gilpin to raise his spirits. As well as poetry, William Cowper is also known for writing hymns.