Ring of Bells Inn and attached former stables

Ring of Bells Inn and attached former stables

A public house and restaurant, formerly a farmhouse and stables. The Ring of Bells Inn contains fabric dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, with the main building form being 17th century. The former stables are probably late 18th or early 19th century, with a 20th-century extension to the north. The building underwent restoration after a fire in 2016, with external and internal features reinstated using the same materials and patterns as originals.

The Inn is constructed of granite rubble with 21st-century cob blocks above, finished with lime render. The roof is thatched on 21st-century oak trusses, with rendered stone stacks. The building is two storeys with a thatched pitched roof with axial and end stacks.

The Inn follows a four-room cross-passage plan with a roughly central entrance. On the east elevation there is an external semi-circular newel stair from the north end of the hall and a newel stair to the north of the cross passage. A 20th-century extension occupies the east side.

The west (front) elevation is asymmetrical with four windows. To the left of the central entrance are three three-light casements: two on the first floor and one on the ground floor (restored 19th century). Immediately to the right of the entrance are six-over-six sash windows to the first floor (restored late 18th century) and ground floor, with a further three-light casement on the first floor and a two-light offset casement below. The porch has a pitched roof covered with slate and terracotta ridge tiles. Its granite front is un-rendered, and inside are slate seats on either side. The 17th-century oak entrance door is wide with later mouldings. The east (rear) elevation features a thatched semi-circular stair projection to the right of centre with a very small window, an outshut with thatched roof to its left, and a 20th-century extension housing kitchens to the left again. The south elevation has a single window at first-floor level. Windows are 21st-century replacements unless otherwise stated.

Internally, entry is from the west into the cross passage. The north side of the cross passage has exposed granite rubble walls with very large blocks at the base. The south wall is a 21st-century pegged-oak screen, and the ceiling is a 21st-century replacement with boards on joists, positioned and dimensioned by the discovery of historic pockets in the north wall.

To the south is the small room and lower room (now a restaurant). The lower room features a fireplace at the south end with a granite-voussoir arched lintel and contains a very large stone bread-oven on its right-hand side with an arched stone opening. A smaller cloam oven sits on the rear wall of the fireplace. A large cross-beam retains evidence from the fire but has been largely retained with new timber scarfed into the ends. Some earlier ceiling joists remain, though most and the planked ceiling are 21st-century replacements. The small room is now open to the lower room with a 21st-century open pegged-timber partition marking the position of a 17th or 18th-century oak-stud partition. A step between the two rooms is laid with 'Candy' bricks. A blocked fireplace sits on the west side of the small room, and a blocked doorway on the east side.

The hall (now a snug) opens to the north through an oak doorframe containing a four-panel planked oak door with decorated wrought-iron strap hinges on the outer face and hand-wrought slim strap hinges on the inner. The hall is three bays long with an oak half-beam against either end wall and an oak central cross-beam, all chamfered with hollow stops and dating to the 17th century. The fireplace at the south end has a chamfered oak lintel with convex stops, a large granite jamb to the left, and a cloam oven to the right. A square-headed 17th-century timber doorframe chamfered with mason's mitres and jewelled and notch stops to the jambs leads to an outshut on the east side; the right jamb is a 21st-century recreation. To its right is a ledge-and-brace door to a newel staircase with boarded winder treads, all 21st-century reconstructions in softwood. To the left of the 17th-century door is a blocked window with an oak 18th-century architrave, and to the left again a 21st-century ledge-and-brace door to the semi-circular newel staircase which has concrete treads. Built into the north wall is a late 18th-century grandfather clock by Joshua (Jos.) Lang of Moretonhampstead with an oak case and brass face. To the right is an internal window (formerly a door), and to the right again is a late 15th or early 16th-century timber pointed-arch doorframe, chamfered with no stops. A 21st-century timber half-partition on the east side of the hall replicates a former full-height partition wall while allowing the entire space to be read.

The inner room (now a bar) contains cross beams similar to those in the hall with a 21st-century lath and plaster ceiling. A blocked window is on the east side, and an open doorway with an oak lintel leads to a 21st-century link to the west and on to the former stables, now a restaurant.

Throughout the ground floor some early beams have 21st-century scarfed oak at their ends, with recreated stops where appropriate. Most ceiling structure was replaced in the 21st century following the fire, using salvaged material where possible. The floor is laid with 'Candy' bricks unless stated. Plaster finishes are all 21st century. Eighteenth and 19th-century window cills and seats have been repaired where possible.

The majority of the first floor was destroyed by fire and replaced, although partitions have been repositioned at historically likely locations.

The former stables are constructed of random granite rubble, rendered, with a thatched roof. The building is rectangular in plan and joined to the Inn by a link block, with a 20th-century flat-roofed extension to the rear.

The stables are two storeys (originally one storey with a loft) with a symmetrical front elevation containing 21st-century timber three-pane casements on either side of a central door. The windows have arched brick heads and surrounds. Two 20th-century dormer eyebrow windows with 21st-century six-pane casements are on the first floor. The link block to the east has a slate catslide roof and 21st-century timber door and window.

Internally, the ground floor is six bays east to west in one open space. The bays are defined by large cross beams, some clearly utilising earlier material and one retaining part of its branch structure. The north and south walls are painted rubble stone; that to the west has 21st-century boarding, and that to the east is plastered with an open doorway to the link. An inserted doorway on the north side leads to WCs in a 20th-century extension, which also contains the cellar. The first floor has been refurbished and contains en-suite bedrooms as part of the pub's accommodation. All finishes, doors and windows are 21st century.