An interesting debate has arisen on the Fisherton History Society Facebook page regarding a carved post which stands outside the New Inn in New Street. Various theories have been put forward for the use of the post including for tying up horses, a bear bating post and a medieval dancing post.

It is interesting to learn that this same debate was happening in the 1970s! Mrs Pamela Harwood probably solved the mystery when she reported on the matter.

“My grandfather, Charles Scammell, was an antique dealer at the Olde House next to the inn – he moved there in 1928 from his shop in the High Street. At that time there were, outside the house, metal capped posts of the same shape and design of those that used to be on the kerb of Exeter Street prior to WW2. There were no chains, but bars connected these posts. When metal was needed during the war these posts and bars were taken and my grandfather put in posts to mark his boundary. He put in three – one on the boundary of the passageway with the New Inn, of which the landlord was Mr Jim Kerley, and two on the other side of his front door. The Olde House was once two properties, Nos. 47 and 49. The two posts were placed in front of No. 49 and grandfather had roofing felt over them, forming a kind of canopy.”

Also in the 1970s, Mrs F. Jones who had at one time lived in New Street said that she was told on good authority that the post was part of a four poster bed. She said that this seemed possible because there were two identical posts used as gate posts to the drive of a house which belonged to a dentist called Ralph Jenkins. This house was exactly opposite.