Whale Bones at The Duke Inn
Whale Bones at The Duke Inn


How a pair of enormous whale bones ended up in a village miles from the sea in the land-locked county of Wiltshire has been the subject of much research and speculation over the years.

However, they are commonly thought to have been brought back from a sea voyage by Captain Edward Smallcombe around the turn of the 20th Century as his family, who brewed wines and spirits at the Royal Oak and The George in Westbury, also owned The Duke in Bratton at that time.

They were originally erected at the entrance to the tea gardens of the Duke Hotel but were removed during renovations to the gardens in the 1980s. Following an enquiry about their whereabouts from Nick Redman, an expert in the field, a thorough search of the village was made and they were eventually rediscovered under the village cricket pavilion that was, at that time, located at Fitzroy Farm.

After a fundraising campaign and help from local people, the 15 ft jaw bones were re-erected at the entrance to the pub car park, about 20ft from their original location, and unveiled by Mr Redman on 8th April 1995.


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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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