The Blue Bell, York: Fascinating stories of one of Yorkshire's smallest pubs - which has had just six landlords in 120 years

If walls could talk, The Blue Bell's would have some stories to share. This is York's smallest pub, in the same family and untouched since 1903.
Ruby Kitchen
By Ruby Kitchen
Published 28th Jun 2023, 06:00 BST

Through it all, there are the strong women - such as the legendary Mrs Pinder, who governed for nearly 90 years with an iron fist from behind the bar.

Now with a new book exploring its stories, from the building's roots around 1600 to how it came to be called The Blue Bell, landlord John Pybus delves deeper.

It all began back in 2019 when he was handed an envelope by a member of the local Camra club, revealing a picture he couldn't ignore.

John Pybus the landlord of the Blue Bell, York's smallest pub and one of England's. John, has written a book on its history, and in particular on the strong women at its helm.John Pybus the landlord of the Blue Bell, York's smallest pub and one of England's. John, has written a book on its history, and in particular on the strong women at its helm.
John Pybus the landlord of the Blue Bell, York's smallest pub and one of England's. John, has written a book on its history, and in particular on the strong women at its helm.

"It was full of old newspaper clippings," said Mr Pybus. "It really brought all these old stories to life. I'm only the sixth landlord in 120 years - it felt like I was doing a bit of a family tree."

The Blue Bell, with just two rooms and original Edwardian decor from 1903, is one of the smallest pubs in the country. All the original handwritten receipts from its renovation have been handed down from tenant to tenant and, now on display for the first time, they detail great tales of romance and rogues, pieced together through regulars' memories.

The building, as it stands today, is believed to have been built around 1600 and once stood as a warehouse used for transporting goods between Fossgate and Scarborough. The first record of it as a pub dates to 1798 and, as it was converted, a number of church bells kept in storage were discovered. In gunmetal blue.

"When you delve into the history of the architecture, there are big surprises," said Mr Pybus. "The ownership history has been fascinating."

The Blue Bell is a notoriously small pubThe Blue Bell is a notoriously small pub
The Blue Bell is a notoriously small pub

There was Sarah Brown, in 1881, running the pub as a single mother and living in the back room while serving customers from the front. Then landlord Harry Hayes, dismissed for being a drunk.

Then the pub passed to George and Annie Robinson in 1903, and later their daughter Edith Pinder, marking the start of the 'Robinson dynasty', which lasted until 1992. Mrs Pinder was finally retired having stayed at the pub through the tenure of 18 Prime Ministers.

Strict, no nonsense, the Robinsons dynasty had all run The Blue Bell according to a tight set of house rules which stand to this day declaring 'no swearing'.

As her health worsened, Mrs Pinder moved her bed to above the back room so she could still bang on the floor with a broom at any mention of foul language.

The Blue Bell in times gone byThe Blue Bell in times gone by
The Blue Bell in times gone by

To Mr Pybus, landlord now for eight years, the pub has changed him, as he believes it did with each of its tenants over 120 years.

"We all have the same rules, the same personalities," he said. "That social history is unchanged. "We're just tenants," he added. "None of us own the bricks and mortar of this building. There's a little bit of a warning as well, about the future of Britain's pubs, and turning them into corporate entities."

The book can be purchased from the bar or via [email protected].