Home > Bedfordshire > Wilden > Victoria Arms Victoria Arms
	Picture Source: Trevor Stewart
The Victoria Arms was situated on the High Street, next door to the small Village Green in Wilden was probably built around 1845, for Wells and Co of Biggleswade {later Wells and Winch}. Strangely they chose a site on the same road and only a matter of yards away from the already existing Swan Inn.. The pub has had various other names during its history, firstly ‘’The Coat of Arms’’ and followed by ‘’Royal Arms’’ before it became licensed as the ‘’Victoria Arms’’ in 1847. Throughout its life as a Public House a huge gilded and painted version of the royal arms of the House of Hanover hung in the bar area. It had a hard core of regular customers including those renowned for the rendition of Bedfordshire ballads and was very popular with the farming community. For a number of years the village football and cricket teams were based in the pub. The church choir and bell ringers often popped in after practice and a Harvest Festival and Carol Service were held there every year. The first landlord appears to have been a Mr. Favell followed by Francis Smith who was there for almost 30 years, and then Ann Lovell. Most people connected to the village would remember the heyday of this pub as being during the Tenancy of Mr. Mrs. Pitman. The building sadly closed in 2000 and apart from a short period has remained closed ever since and is currently again being advertised for leasehold.
Source: Trevor Stewart
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Picture Source: Trevor Stewart
Picture Source: Trevor Stewart