The following comes from the Town and Country Talk column published in the Watford Observer on March 18, 1949.

Alongside other stories about a distinguised gathering of medical men and the man who travelled 32,000 miles in 68 days, among others, were these two items about Bricket Wood.

The first is headed “A Curious House”. It reads: “People strolling from North Watford for a walk through Bricket Wood, often ask the reason for the strange decorations on the walls of ‘Brickett’, a picturesque house covered in mural reliefs depicting various sports, from rowing to cycling – on ‘penny farthings’.

“Owned at one time by a Mr Frederick Whallen, an architect and surveyor, of St Pancras, it was converted by him for use as a weekend club for London boys.

“Even though this was before the 1914-18 war, some of the boys have come back to what was to them a shrine, recalling many happy memories and bringing their sweethearts, wives and children with them. An interesting deed relating to the property, dated 1818, fixed the rent at threepence per year – ‘together with such fines, customs and services as are due’.”

Although the paper printed a picture of ‘Brickett’ at the time, the reproduction was so dark that copying it and printing it again here has proved impossible (and we don’t have original negatives going back that far).

I had more luck, though, with the illustration printed that week of The Old Fox, subject of the second piece.

Headed “Painless Extraction”, it reads: “Nearby is another relic of bygone days. An old thatched cottage, standing on the side of a pond, bears the inscription ‘The Old Fox With His Teeth Drawn’.

“Once it bore the title of ‘The Old Fox’ and Mr Isaac Dalby, a 68-year-old smallholder, who lives next door, can well remember the happy days when a threepenny bit passed over the counter produced a pint of beer and ten cigarettes.

“Rumour has it, however, that some of the customers were not able to avoid the pond when coming out after an evening in the snug atmosphere of the inn, with its timbered roof and strong ale.

“In any case, the late Lord Knutsford (Mr Arthur Holland-Hibbert as he then was) acquired the property and ‘drew its teeth’ by turning it into a temperance cafe.”

There’s a little more on the place in A Souvenir of Bricket Wood”, an excellent booklet published by the Bricket Wood Society in 1982.

In a section on public houses, the booklet states “at the end of the 16th Century there were over 500 officially licensed premises in hertfordshire. There were three types of public house – the inn (providing food, drink and lodging), the tavern (selling wine, sometimes food and lodging) and the alehouse, later beerhouse (selling ale or beer but no food or lodging).”

It continues: “In the latter half of the 19th Century, there were seven licensed premises in the Bricket Wood area – The Chequers, The Green Man, The Blackboy, The Fox, The Young Fox, The Fox and Hounds and The Gate, four of which exist today.” Not even four any more, I’m afraid (but I suppose you could technically add Moor Mill to the list nowadays).

Anyway, the “Souvenir” continues: “About the turn of the century, The Old Fox had its licence revoked and became known as The Old Fox With His Teeth Drawn; it served teas until about 50 years ago [i.e. the early 1930s].

“The Young Fox would vie with The Old Fox for the agricultural labourers’ trade. About a century ago, the licensing laws enabled workers to fill their jugs with beer on their way to the fields. An elderly gentleman remembers walking three miles from watford to The Fox, where he would dip his pot into a large bath of beer.

“All this because a traveller could buy beer between 12-2pm on Sundays, but in Watford he couldn’t drink until 7pm.”

Any memories of Bricket Wood pubs would, as always be gratefully received. Contact us by clicking here watfordnostalgia@london.newsquest.co.uk.

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