Kings Arms Hotel

www.kingsarmsuk.com

Dining Out at The Kings Arms Hotel , Melksham

FOR a wonderful array of tantalising freshly-prepared dishes, and a  great glass of wine, the comfortable and relaxed surroundings of the  King’s Arms Hotel in Melksham Market Place is hard to beat.

Pam and Colin Lugg have been running the 17th Century hotel since  2006 and have stamped their own identity on the historic building  which stands proudly in the centre of the town.“We have recently had a complete menu change. We believe our local farmers produce exceptional Beef, Pork Poultry and Trout and the people of Melksham appreciate good wholesome food. For this reason all our Beef comes from Poulshot just a few miles outside Melksham. Our Poultry comes from Wooley Park farm near Bradford on Avon and Pork products come from Downland’s of Lacock and our Trout is reared in the clear waters of the Upper Avon at Manningford near Pewsey. Vegetables are ordered in daily, they are specially chosen to compliment the season and the dishes we serve. They are of the finest quality most being produced locally an supplied by Lovejoys of Melksham

All meals are freshly prepared to order, Quality no nonsense food at reasonable prices. Many meals can be ordered as a small or larger portion depending how hungry you are. Comfortable surroundings with a pleasant friendly service make us worth a visit, whether you’re having an intimate dinner for two, a family meal, or business lunch.

A choice of two Roasts is always available on Sundays between 12md and 2.00pm as well as the main menu... Served in the dinning room and bar we are building up quite a reputation. I’d recommend you book!

Good food. Great Wines. Well kept Ales. Pleasant Friendly Service. What more could you want!
“We also offer a function room which can be used for meetings and  conferences. Overhead projectors, DVD players, televisions etc are  all available and we can provide a separate dining room if businesses 
require a ‘working lunch’, again catering for individual needs.“The music is mellow, with a relaxing atmosphere and a service that  is efficient and friendly,” added Pam. “We are just the place for  good conversation with friends! We’re a place to relax and unwind, watch the world go by, enjoy a quiet drink or catch up with friends for a special night out. Our surroundings lend themselves to all your moods.”A large car park is available for customers at the rear of the building.

For more information, or to book a table, Telephone 01225 707272.

The King’s Arms

The King’s Arms was built in the 17th Century and in its early years, 
was used as a coach house where a change of horses was kept. We do 
not know exactly at what date it became an inn but it was certainly 
one by 1762. The king whose arms are referred to in the name is 
therefore probably George II.
The Royal Mail from Devonport called at the King’s Arms every evening 
at half past seven on its way to London and coaches between Bath and 
Bristol and London, Reading and Exeter also stopped there.
In its heyday, ten coaches a day were calling at the King’s Arms and 
every journey was an adventure, with unlit roads, tired horses and 
drunken coachmen as common hazards – and that was before you met a 
highway-man!
The earliest licensee whose name we know is Thomas Nalder who held 
the licence in 1793.
At this time a cattle market was held in Melksham every Monday 
fortnight and the town was renowned for the manufacture of superfine 
clothes and kerseymere.
By 1830 the King's Arms was advertised as a posting and commercial 
house, and auctions of property were often held there.
A large fair was held in the Market Place every year on July 27th at 
this time. The town pump and the local lock-up and town stocks were 
also in the Market Place near the inn.
The Melksham tithe map of 1838 shows that all the present buildings 
of the inn had been constructed and there were two courtyards at the 
rear surrounded by extensive outbuildings.

These were boom days for the inn. But the era of coaching lasted less 
than a hundred years and its years of decline hit the King’s Arms 
hard. The Great Western Railway reached Chippenham in 1841 and the 
days of the coaching inns were numbered.
The inn, though, continued to be a centre for local affairs. For 
instance, for the General Election of 1865, the hustings where 
candidates spoke was erected on the forecourt of the inn.
The disturbance was such that the militia had to be called out and 
Captain Justly Awdry, a local solicitor who lived almost next door to 
the King's Arms had to read the Riot Act.
By the 20th century, instead of the old horse-drawn coaches, the 
buses from Devizes to Bath now stopped outside the King's Arms as the 
Hotel got a new lease of life.
The hotel was even featured in a Punch cartoon, drawn by the well 
known cartoonist G.D. Armour who lived nearby.
In 1962 plans for a complete remodelling of the interior of the 
King's Arms, described as Melksham's foremost hotel, were approved by 
Melksham magistrates.
Today, it retains many of the original features from the days of the 
old coach and horses.It is now a traditional Country Inn offering 
fresh county food and pleasant, first class accommodation and acts as 
an attractive centrepiece for Melksham's Market Place – a constant 
reminder of days gone by!