The ad below is of the Oxford Hotel (now The Chidlow Tavern) from a 1950s hotel book.
History of The Chidlow Tavern....
When the railway connection from Guildford to Chidlow’s Well (as the town was formerly known) was opened in 1884, John
(an ex-licensee of the Old Mahogany Inn) could see the need for a new Inn.
He established the first hotel in Chidlow’s Well, the Oxford Inn, on railway land north of the present site. The popular Inn was open 24 hours a day, providing refreshments, a place for people to stay, horses to be stabled and a meeting point for locals.
At the time, Chidlow’s Well had many railway buildings, including refreshment rooms, a marshalling yard and a turntable for turning the engines back to Perth. Although the railway had been extended to York by 1885, Chidlow’s Well remained a busy station.
The first Inn burnt down in 1908 and, fortunately, the owner managed to save all of the furniture. He subsequently rebuilt an 8-bedroom brick hotel at the current site in Thomas Street and named it the New Oxford Hotel.
Chidlow’s Well (renamed to Chidlow in 1920) became a quieter town as the century progressed, and the railway track was removed in 1966 (when the Avon Valley route was established). Much of the area’s railway heritage is still on display around town.
The hotel became known as the Chidlow Inn Tavern in 1973. While public bedrooms are no longer available, beneath the main bar, the original cellar remains (but has been filled in to prevent dampness).
Thank you to the Chidlow Tavern for the history of the hotel!
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