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Picture source: Clive Schneidau

The Golden Fleece was situated on Tuly Street. This grade-II listed pub closed c1990 and is now used as a restaurant.

I thought you might be interested in a reference I came across in the Navy Board Minutes which are held at the National Archive at Kew. It concerns an incident when a press gang from His Majesty's Brigantine the Post Boy, met up at the Golden Fleece in Barnstable; Captain John Carleton of the Post Boy met up with a local Justice, Captain Kinnick & Lieutenant Hyatt for dinner there on Friday the 5th of March 1697. On the Saturday the Captains together with 15 of Lieutenant Hyatts soldiers and 13 or 14 of the Post Boys men set off for Conne{?}. To avoid any accidents, Captain Carleton cautioned the men only to load their weapons with powder, they all having muskets. On entering the town of Conne{?} they met with a Captain Stocker, whose crew were the intended target for the press gang. Captain Stocker drew up his men in their way, and declared if any should run from him he would run them through, he having drawn his sword. Carleton tried to reason with him, urging him to let the men join the navy as volunteers, only to receive a blow from Stocker (presumably not with the blade of the sword). At this, Carleton drew his sword and urged his men to secure as many seamen for His Majesty's service as they could. In the ensuing mêlée, Stockers men attempted to grab the muskets, one or two of which were discharged, and Captain Stocker was shot, (I presume fatally). Source Copy of a letter from Captain John Carleton, Commander of the Postboy brigantine, dated from the Golden Fleece at Barnstable, the 7th of March 1696/7 Admiralty Secretary, letters from the Navy Board, Adm 1/3580, p 971 & 975

Patrick Gosset (August 2017)

Listed building details:

Public house. Early or mid C19, but incorporating a late C16 or early C17 rear wing. Rendered, solid walls, probably of stone or brick; C17 wing, patchily covered with roughcast, appears to be of stone rubble with an upper storey of cob except for the rear (E) gable-wall which is of exposed red brick in English bond. Tarred, slated roof; C17 wing covered with corrugated asbestos. 3 rendered chimneys, asymmetrically placed on main range. Chimney in rear gable of C17 wing, with rebuilt shaft. Double-depth plan with central passage along its spine. Carriageway through left-hand end of building, leading to stable yard at rear. C17 wing has 1 small room on each floor. 2 storeys. Front is 6-window range, divided into 3 unequal bays by pilaster-strips; 3 windows in centre, 2 to left and one to right. Centre bay has doorway flanked by windows, the former with moulded architrave and flat moulded hood on consoles; windows have rusticated cement architraves with vermiculated key blocks, the openings (now boarded) originally with triple sashes. The 3 upper-storey windows have slightly raised cement arches, originally rusticated; 6-pane sashes. Left-hand bay has segmental arches carriage-gate with double doors to right; similar blind or blocked archway to its left, with pier between. 2 windows with plain heads and 6-pane sashes in upper storey. Right-hand bay has 4-panelled door with oblong fanlight in ground storey and 6-paned sash window above. Neither opening is decorated in any way; probably this was the original arrangement, since a photograph of 1916 shows that only the openings in the middle bay were then decorated. In 1916 the right-hand doorway was a window with 6-paned sashes. The front is finished with a plain band and parapet with coping; the pilaster-strips are continued on the parapet. Rear wall has several barred sashes. Right-hand side wall of C17 wing, visible from rear of No.17, has sash window in ground storey with blocked doorway to right. In the upper storey a 2-light wood-mullioned window; mullions moulded, the right-hand light filled with diamond shaped panes of old green glass in lead cames. Similar glass from the other light may be lying loose inside. Interior: has nothing of special interest. C17 wing is accessible only on ground floor, but is likely to have early fireplaces and possibly other features under the plaster. Although the C17 building is only a fragment, it has considerable quality, and provides rare evidence of house-building in cob in the old town centre. Historical Note: The Golden Fleece was built by the Barnstaple Bridge Trust and sold by them in 1922. For an early engraving of it, see Harper's Albums, Vol.5, p49, in the North Devon Athenaeum. The rear wing may originally have been part of No.17 (not included).

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Name	Dates	Comments
Dr Patrick Oates	1970-1978	In the 1970's, Patrick Horgan was the marvellous Landlord of this Pub. I was an Archaeologist working many sites & Patrick supplied us with a Hot Bath for 6 pence, and hot pasties after a day's toil. An educated man of wit & humour along with his wife Cynthia, he kept the perfect Pub. Staying open long after 'closing time', he'd Retire to bed & leave the bar, trusting our honesty It was NEVER abused, and we locked up 'Last man out'.