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 The
Great Bed of Ware
The Bed 10’9” wide by 10’9” long by 7’6”
high now stands in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London but
started its life in the 16th century in Ware.
It is thought to have been made as an advertising gimmick for one
of the local Inns and is known to have been in The White Hart, The
George, The Crown and The Saracens Head (the old one) before being
purchased for 100 guineas in 1870 and placed on exhibition in The
Rye House Hotel, Hoddesdon. In the early 1930s it was purchased
for £4,000 by the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Stories of the bed are many as it was a famous sight for visitors
who according to traditional records would frequently make up select
parties of twelve and engage it for the night in order to put its
enormous capacity for accommodation to the proof.
The exact date of construction is not known but it must have been
well known to William Shakespeare as in his Twelfth Night (first
performed in 1601) Sir Toby Belch says:
“Go, write it in a martial hand; be curst and brief; it is
no
matter how witty, so it be eloquent and full of invention;
taunt him with the licence of ink; if thou thou’st him some
thrice it shall not be amiss; and as many lies as will lie in thy
sheet of paper although the sheet were big enough for the
bed of Ware in England, set ‘em down .....”
Ware in Stitches Quilt
This 11 ft square, exuberantly colourful, wallhanging celebrates
the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and depicts many facets of Ware
life. The brainchild of Mrs. Sue Jones it was created by over 90
local townsfolk ranging in age from 2 years old to 83 years young
(!) and funded by individuals, groups and companies. It is to be
found hanging above the main stairwell at Wodson Park Sports Centre
to the north of the town. Big enough for the Great Bed of Ware,
which as a national treasure is safely housed in the Victoria &
Albert Museum, the Quilt is actually too big for permanent display
within the town at present. However, it is hoped that Ware will
one day have its very own faithful replica of the Great Bed and
that the Quilt will be displayed alongside it.
John Gilpin’s Ride to Ware
This famous ride was immortalised by the poet William Cowper in
the early 1780s in a poem entitled “The Diverting History
of John Gilpin”, showing how he went further than he intended
and came safe home again. According to the poem, John and his family
intended to go to the Bell at Edmonton (not far from their home)
to celebrate their 20 years of marriage. The family were to go in
a chaise and pair with John Gilpin following on a horse borrowed
from a friend.
All went well until the horse bolted and John with bottles of wine
strapped to his back could not stop it until in Ware, where its
owner lived (Gilpin House).
As the horse flew past the Bell at Edmonton, John’s wife told
him he had arrived.
“But yet his horse was not a whit,
Inclined to tarry there,
For why? his owner had a house
Full ten miles off, at Ware.”
Calendar of Regular Events
Winter Talks (January – April) at the Priory
Guided Walks (Spring-Summer) starting from the Museum
Real Ale Festival (Spring) at the Arts Centre (an Old Malting) in
Kibes Lane
Easter Events at the Priory
Band Concerts (Summer) in the Priory Grounds
Ware Festival (July) see page 21
Speciality Markets
Boat Trips (August)
Heritage Weekend (September)
Firework Display (November)
Christmas Festival (December) see page 24
All events are subject to change or cancellation
Contact Details: Ware Town Council, Ware Town Centre Partnership
Tel. 01920 460316 Fax. 01920 484056
Email: info@waretowncouncil.gov.uk
www.waretowncouncil.gov.uk
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Whilst every care has been taken in compiling this publication
and the statements contained herein are believed to be correct,
the publishers and promoters cannot accept responsibility for any
inaccuracies. Reproduction of any part of this publication in any
format, without permission, is strictly forbidden. Photographs Courtesy
of Denis Butcher, Ware Town Council and Graham Watson
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Ware and its Neighbours
