Take a look just across the street for a charming, long, white-painted timber-framed building with a jolly row of colourful hanging flower baskets and a row of tall brick chimneys poking out of its sloping tiled roof-that’s The Six Bells pub right in front of you.
Now, imagine you’re standing on ground soaked with not just rain, but over 2,000 years of history. Long before this cheerful old pub welcomed anyone in for a pint, the Romans were here, sweating it out in their fancy bath house. Picture it: steamy rooms, echoing laughter, and maybe the odd Roman wishing for a cold beer instead of hot water. But, suddenly, the air is split by the sound of chaos-Boudica, the famous warrior queen, sweeps through and the city is ablaze, the bath house left broken and quiet. The city eventually dusts itself off, but the baths don’t return here.
Centuries pass. In the 1600s, the pub we see today rises up, its creaky wooden beams almost whispering about those who came before. When it needed a name, someone must have listened to the beautiful peal of the six bells ringing out from nearby St Michael's Church-and the name stuck! Little did they know the church would add even more bells, but tradition has a way of hanging on.
More recently, archaeologists, TV crews, and adventurous locals have dug up secrets in the car park and cellars, unearthing whispering traces of the Romans and pub-goers alike. Now, The Six Bells stands safe under its grade II listing, ready to share stories and, if you’re thirsty, maybe a drink or two!
