Home > Essex > High Beech > Duke Of Wellington Duke Of Wellington
Date of photo: 2019	Picture source: Jane Manley
The Duke Of Wellington was situated on Wellington Hill. This pub was used as Harry's Brunch Club following closure in 2017 and has now been converted to an estate agents.
Local newspaper review by John Cutting, 1960s
Epping Forest belongs to London. Since 1882 when Queen Victoria solemnly dedicated the Forest to the public, High Beech has been a mecca for crowds from the metropolis. The Duke Of Wellington had been licensed a few years earlier and immediately became a well-known meeting point. Later, in the spacious Edwardian days, the inn was to be the scene of vast banquets held in marquees in the grounds.
Bob Glass - known to all as half-pint - is the present tenant and has vivid memories of past events in the area. His father was the founder of riding schools in the Forest and is was back in 1920 that the first Hack, Hunter and Livery Stables were established in the vicinity of the Bald Faced Stag at Buckhurst Hill. Bob still recalls the night of terror in 1935 when that inn was burned down and about forty horses in their stables had to be moved to a place of safety. A commoner of the Forest, he is proud of the fact that both his father and grandfather were present in Queen Victoria's entourage when she drove through the Forest for the official opening ceremony.
Bob's father - who was familiarly called Mr. Bottle - took over the Duke of Wellington in 1940 from two sisters, Mrs Clements and Mrs Golding, who had lived there for the preceding forty-two years. Mrs Clements, or Auntie, had previously been employed at Buckingham Palace and was in her hundredth year when she retired gracefully from the inn to celebrate her centenary in a local almshouse. At that time, the pewter sink behind the bar and the wrought-iron paraffin lamp standards were all inscribed with masonic emblems. It is believed that Mrs Golding's husband had originally been installed at the inn as a 'deserving case' by the Walthamstow Lodge of Freemasons.
Before the advent of the motor car Londoners either cycled or rode out to the Forest or travelled out in organised 'outings'. Many of these would meet for lunch at one of Rigg's Retreats where hundreds of meals were served.
High Beech was, for many years, the target for London printers who, on their annual wayzgoose, used to travel in brakes from Chingford Station. After an early morning drink at the Owl they would move on to the Duke of Wellington where the great attraction was a table loaded with bread, cheese and pickles. Each man could then, for the price of 2 1/2d, eat as much as he liked. It is said that a large number of printers, after retirement, used to settle in the High Beech area.
Bob Glass, who once rode in the local poin-to-point meetings still has a great love of horses and many riders regularly visit him at the inn. Since he took over the Duke of Wellington there have been great changes and, as a result of the alterations which have taken place during the past year, the inn has been enlarged and the comfort of the bars improved. The gardens are a wonderful attraction and now include a small farm complete with geese, ducks and a donkey for the entertainment of the children.
Lunches are served every week by Irene Glass in addition to a wide range of snacks which are always available at the bars. When the alterations are complete Irene hopes to extend here excellent catering arrangements.
On the day of my visit to the Duke of Wellington a film company who had been 'shooting' in the area suddenly demanded lunches for 38 people. This exceptional order was accepted by the landlord with complete equanimity and, within minutes, Irene had rustled up a wonderful meal. There is an atmosphere of cheerfulness and imperturbability whenever Bob is around and he obviously has an enthusiastic approach to any problems which might arise.
How right was the famous politician who, in a different context, declared 'Enthusiasm moves the world'.
Brewers: Ind Coope (East Anglia) Ltd
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