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A vintage street scene shows the Blue Ball Inn and Charterhouse Terrace with a small car parked in front of the building.

Blue Ball Inn and Charterhouse Terrace, Grantchester (MoC192/70)

Blue Ball, Broadway, Grantchester

History of the Blue Ball Grantchester

1767 earliest record

1770 licensed to Jame Butler

A hand-lettered document lists the names and years of service of the landlords of the Blue Ball pub in black and red ink.

Blue Ball landlords

1785 hot air balloon flew or landed nearby giving pub its name

19th cent: brewery behind inn

1893 rebuilt after fire retaining original cellar

2014 acquired by Toby Joseph

Grantchester Pubs

 

Enid Porter in Cambridgeshire Customs and  Folklore p223 described the traditional game of Ringing the Bull still played at the time at the Fort St George and the Blue Ball in Grantchester.

A iron ring, about 2 inches in diameter is suspended from the ceiling some distance in front of an iron hook fixed in the wall at a height of about 6 feet from the floor.

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  • Public House

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  • Grantchester

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