From 1570...

Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn is considered to be one of the oldest inns in Banbury.


In 1706 it consisted of not only no. 47 Parsons Street (the present Reindeer) but also no. 48. When looking at the façades, you can see they are from two distinct periods, with no. 47 a slightly later edition. The large heavy gates bare the inscription:


"IOHN-KNIGHT + IHONE KNIGHT + DAVID HORN ANNO DIN 1570"


John Knight was a man of great respect in the town, a baker by trade and owner of property and land in Banbury. It’s believed he purchased the poorly developed plot of land in 1564, where The Reindeer now stands, and after extensive building work it opened as an inn in 1570, with David Horn being the first landlord (hence the inscription on the large, gated entrance).


Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn remained in the Knight family until 1706. During the years 1629-1637 The Globe Room was built and was of extreme superior quality architecturally. This marked the inn as a place of high standing in the town, with the room’s ornate oak wooden panelling and extravagant mullioned windows, the likes of which had never been previously seen in Banbury.

Original Gated Entrance

Original Gated Entrance

From 1570...

Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn is considered to be one of the oldest inns in Banbury.


In 1706 it consisted of not only no. 47 Parsons Street (the present Reindeer) but also no. 48. When looking at the façades, you can see they are from two distinct periods, with no. 47 a slightly later edition. The large heavy gates bare the inscription:


"IOHN-KNIGHT + IHONE KNIGHT + DAVID HORN ANNO DIN 1570"


John Knight was a man of great respect in the town, a baker by trade and owner of property and land in Banbury. It’s believed he purchased the poorly developed plot of land in 1564, where The Reindeer now stands, and after extensive building work it opened as an inn in 1570, with David Horn being the first landlord (hence the inscription on the large, gated entrance).


Ye Olde Reine Deer Inn remained in the Knight family until 1706. During the years 1629-1637 The Globe Room was built and was of extreme superior quality architecturally. This marked the inn as a place of high standing in the town, with the room’s ornate oak wooden panelling and extravagant mullioned windows, the likes of which had never been previously seen in Banbury.

Original Gated Entrance

Original Gated Entrance

The garret and cellar to the inn were accessed through a door in The Globe Room, which can still be seen today, though it is no longer in use. It’s also believed this was the entrance to the warren of tunnels underneath the town, which enabled the undetectable movement to and from various buildings.


The ceiling of The Globe Room consisted of an opulent honeycomb plasterwork design, with symmetrical repeated imagery that included mermaids, flowers and foliage, all in high relief and beautifully coloured in a gentle sage green and salmon pink.


Sadly, the ornate plaster ceiling no longer exists, but replicas were made from the original panels, which were cast by the V&A Museum in London in 1899. An exact replica of The Globe Room’s original ceiling can be seen at Shoppenhangers Manor in Maidenhead.

The Globe Room

The Room That Moved...

In 1898 the ownership of the inn was passed to Hook Norton Brewery. Between 1910 and 1912 the brewery tried to sell the panelling from The Globe Room on several occasions, with much interest coming from America and a great deal of opposition from local and national bodies who recognised the historical value of the room.


Sadly, the panelling was removed and sold along with the plaster ceiling. However, when the ceiling was removed, a double-barrelled flint-lock horse pistol was found, which had been resting on the upper side of the ceiling. The pistol itself had an interesting inscription engraved on it:


"Presented to Dick Turpin at the White Bear Inn, Drury Lane, Feb 7th 1735"


After much research it has been proven that Dick Turpin was present at The White Bear Inn on that specific date planning a robbery. Unfortunately, the pistol along with the oak panelling was taken to the purchasers Messrs Lenygon of Old Burlington Street, London.

The Globe Room

The Room That Moved...

In 1898 the ownership of the inn was passed to Hook Norton Brewery. Between 1910 and 1912 the brewery tried to sell the panelling from The Globe Room on several occasions, with much interest coming from America and a great deal of opposition from local and national bodies who recognised the historical value of the room.


Sadly, the panelling was removed and sold along with the plaster ceiling. However, when the ceiling was removed, a double-barrelled flint-lock horse pistol was found, which had been resting on the upper side of the ceiling. The pistol itself had an interesting inscription engraved on it:


"Presented to Dick Turpin at the White Bear Inn, Drury Lane, Feb 7th 1735"


After much research it has been proven that Dick Turpin was present at The White Bear Inn on that specific date planning a robbery. Unfortunately, the pistol along with the oak panelling was taken to the purchasers Messrs Lenygon of Old Burlington Street, London.

During the early 1960s The Banbury Historical Society took a keen interest in finding the whereabouts of The Globe Room’s original panelling, assuming it would most likely be in America. Unbelievably, after contacting the V&A Museum (who had recently been contacted offering the panels to them only a month before) they were notified that the original panelling was in fact still in London.


This launched a wave of activity between the Banbury Historical Society, locals and the town council to raise sufficient funds with generous donations from the national Art Fund and The Pilgrim Trust. The panels were finally purchased and brought back to their rightful home.

BELIEVED HISTORY

The Globe Room's

famous connections

One of the most famous people thought to be associated with the Globe Room is Oliver Cromwell. Legend has it that this very room played a major part in the planning of the siege of Banbury Castle, Oxford Castle and the battle of Edgehill.


Oliver Cromwell was a well-known Parliamentarian and an avid objector of the Royalists and King Charles I’s ever-increasing taxes and his belief in the divine right of kings.


With Banbury being a Puritan town, it seems most likely that Oliver Cromwell would have had a Parliamentary stronghold here. And it is part of the room’s legend that The Globe was used for meetings and many trials and convictions of generals and high-ranking Royalists.

BELIEVED HISTORY

The Globe Room's

famous connections

One of the most famous people thought to be associated with the Globe Room is Oliver Cromwell. Legend has it that this very room played a major part in the planning of the siege of Banbury Castle, Oxford Castle and the battle of Edgehill.


Oliver Cromwell was a well-known Parliamentarian and an avid objector of the Royalists and King Charles I’s ever-increasing taxes and his belief in the divine right of kings.


With Banbury being a Puritan town, it seems most likely that Oliver Cromwell would have had a Parliamentary stronghold here. And it is part of the room’s legend that The Globe was used for meetings and many trials and convictions of generals and high-ranking Royalists.

King Charles I surrendered and was handed over to Cromwell's forces in 1646 and was subsequently placed on house arrest, tried and convicted of treason.


Oliver Cromwell then spearheaded the campaign for the execution of King Charles I and was successful. Charles I was executed on 30th January 1649.


The Painting (see image) that hangs in The Globe Room is


"Charles I on his way to execution" - 1883 by Ernest Crofts.

Oliver Cromwell was not the only military figure to have supposedly visited the inn. Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the duke of Cumberland and leader of the Royalist Cavalry, was also reported to have stayed here. He was an important figure during the Civil War and tried on several occasions to free King Charles I.

Oliver Cromwell was not the only military figure to have supposedly visited the inn. Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the duke of Cumberland and leader of the Royalist Cavalry, was also reported to have stayed here. He was an important figure during the Civil War and tried on several occasions to free King Charles I.

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