The Duke Inn
The Duke Inn


The Duke is one of the most familiar buildings in the village of Bratton, Wiltshire, but it did not always occupy its present location.

The original Duke Inn was a 17th century “Church house” (the parish feasting hall and brewhouse) and stood on a plot at the south-east corner of Sands Lane that was later annexed behind the high wall of Bratton House. The publican was regularly called upon to supply outside refreshments when required. This included providing beer for parishioners when they took their turn at the statutory duty of repairing the roads. It also functioned as a multi-purpose community centre, being rented out to the Baptist Sunday School and holding auctions and coroners’ inquests.

The present Duke started life as The White Horse. Originally it was probably part of a pair or short row of cottages, with the pub occupying only part of it. Sources known so far do not reveal much about its development, nor when it came to occupy the whole range. The earliest reference to it is in 1739 but it is probably older.

The title “Duke” is recorded in 1778, so the Duke commemorated was clearly not Wellington, whose exploits were still in the future. Most likely candidates include one of the Dukes of Bolton, Somerset, Marlborough, York, or Cumberland.

In the late 18th century the original Duke was already part of the freehold estate of the Ballard family and by the early 19th century ownership of the Ballard estate, including Bratton House, had passed to the Seagram family. In 1883 it was converted into the White Horse Coffee Tavern/House. In September 1890 the original Duke’s licence was transferred to the White Horse Coffee House and it was pulled down shortly afterwards. The Coffee House was re-named “The Duke”.

Just before the First World War the Duke was one of the local pubs sold to the Trowbridge brewery Ushers. It then had more than one transformation, operating as the Duke Hotel for many years, and changing its outward appearance over time. Also part of its 20th-century history are ventures such as the tea gardens on the opposite side of the road and a holiday chalet on the hillside above the church.

Bratton probably had at least one other alehouse in the 18th century. A property known as ‘Rose and Crown’ lay below Bratton House near the corner of Lower Road.

'The Duke Inn' by Alison Maddock

'The Duke Inn Whale bones' by Sian Morgan

'The Duke Inn's Chalet' by Bob Pearce

'The Original Duke Inn' by Shaun Cove

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Bratton History Association.

The Bratton History Association aims to provide all those curious about local history with an opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and discover more about the history of Bratton and Wiltshire. Activities include monthly meetings, talks by professional historians, visits to places of interest to historians, and our own local history project.

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