Local Interests

Some say that the old Angel has more historical interest than many of our Stately Homes in the United Kingdom . Widely regarded and fondly known as the oldest surviving English Inn, the main façade of the building that stands today was built approximately 600 years ago. The site then however had already been an Inn for 200 years and was built as a hostel for the chivalrous Brotherhood of the Knights Templar. It was then that the beautifully carved building caught the eye of King John "he of Magna Carta fame" who decided it would make a suitable location for a visit of his Royal Court in 1213.

An Angel was a common Medieval Sign that reflected the early connection between religious establishments and a traveller’s hostel. The Inn was extended in the mid 14th Century and again in the 15th Century.