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History

The Well House Inn is named after the main feature of the gardens, St. Margaret's Well. The well is apparently mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is still actively used to this day: the Environment Agency constantly monitor the level of water in the well and we understand from them that it is the primary monitoring site for the whole of South London and the south-east of England. Anyway, back to the history.

The local village, Mugswell, also takes its name from St. Margaret's Well. Over the centuries the area became colloqially known as Magswell before eventually becoming Mugswell.

The buildings which make up the present pub, originally three cottages, are believed to date from the mid 1560s. Just a few decades earlier, King Henry VIII had used the surrounding woodlands for hunting, hence the names of the nearby villages of Kingswood and Lower Kingswood.

There is, it seems, a resident ghost known as Harry The Monk. It was thought that there were secret tunnels linking St. Margaret's Well with the caves under the town of Reigate. It seems that Harry was trying to escape the dissolution of the monasteries and must have come to a sticky end. A number of landlords and landladies over recent decades have attested to strange noises and other unexplained goings-on!

During the first half of the last century the buildings became tea rooms. In 1955 Bass bought the property and re-opened it as a public house. When Bass divested itself of its pub estate The Well House Inn was purchased in 2001 by two brothers who wanted to retain the traditional character of their local pub. It is therefore part of the joint smallest active pub company in the world (total outlets: 1)

So, here's to the continuation of over half a century in its current role as one of the ever-decreasing number of traditional British country pubs.

Whilst some of the above may sound at best hypocriphal, we can assure you that it is all based on good, solid rumour! If you can help to fill in anying of the yawning gaps in this potted history we would love to hear from you.