Home > Buckinghamshire > Studley Green > Studley Arms Studley Arms
Picture source: Darkstar
The Studley Arms was situated on Wycombe Road. This building was converted from a private dwelling to a beer house known as The Harrow, in 1842. Owned by Wethereds of Marlow from the mid-1800s, it was first mentioned by name in the 1861 census with William Reading the "beer seller". Around 1900 the licence was transferred from the Reading family to the Bennells. The beer house hit the headlines in 1921 when, due to drought, there was no water to tackle a fire. The cry went up "Use beer", the building was saved but 150 pints of beer wasted... such was the fame of the story that it even made The Times. Rebuilding in the 1930s altered its appearance from that of a house to the more familiar mock-Tudor style. Around then, Wethereds closed its nearby pub The Five Alls and transferred its licence to The Harrow, transforming it into a full-scale public house. It became the focus of village life with coach outings to the races and other places, and even sported its own Tug o'War Team. During WW2 it was popular for people like radio personalities who would escape there briefly for a weekend. The name changed to The Studley Arms in 1973 and further renovation occurred in 1986. However, the opening of the M40 motorway in 1967 took away much passing trade and a steady decline set in, culminating in its closure early this century.
This pub has now been demolished and houses built on the site.
Movement80 (June 2013)
As a child I lived here; my father William Pales was the publican from about 1941-1945. It was The Harrow Hotel in those days. We were living in Guernsey before world war II and had to leave hurriedly just before the German occupation. My father had left his business and home in the Channel Islands and arrived in England with a wife and 5 year old child with no money and no home. (No social security in those days). He was a horticulturist and then turned his hand to being a pub landlord. He made a very successful job of it too! I am now 80 and sad to see our old home is no more.
Valerie Pestell (November 2015)
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Other Photos
Date of photo: 1920s	Picture source: Movement80