A Bristol pub just off the A4174 Ring Road has temporarily closed while a huge refurbishment and rebranding takes place. The Willy Wicket Inn in Downend, which can be seen from the busy dual carriageway route, closed its doors with a Halloween ‘end of an era’ party on Sunday, October 27, but says it will be back in just under a month’s time.
In a Facebook post dated September 12 the pub, which is part of the Vintage Inns group, said: “Exciting news! We are closing, but we will be coming back.
“We will be coming back rebranded, renamed and refurbed. 27th October will be our last day open, to then reopen on November 24. There’s so many things to look forward to when we do reopen, so keep your eyes peeled.
“We are so very excited for this new start and we can’t wait for you to join us in the new future for the Willy Wicket.” Taking to the comments section at the time, fans were especially shocked to hear of their beloved local’s plans to change its name.
Describing the pub as a “landmark for giving directions”, one local said: “Seriously, you can’t rename”, to which the Willy Wicket team confirmed it “won’t be a drastic change, it’ll still be the same name just slightly different”. It’s not yet revealed what this new name will be, however.
Refurbishment started on October 14, while the pub was still open, with scaffolding put in place to prepare for the major work to come. Then, in another post on Monday, October 28, the team confirmed that they had “just finished stripping the pub”, adding that it “looks so empty” and promising that they will be updating locals with some sneak peeks over the coming weeks.
The Willy Wicket Inn on Badminton Road sits just off of the Wick Wick roundabout – the same roundabout that branches off to a Travelodge, Costa, Shell garage and a care home. The site itself was previously home to Wick Wick Farm, which sat in the ancient parish of Mangotsfield. The parish of Downend, in which the pub we see today now sits in, was formed back in 1874.
According to the pub itself, county assize records show the old farm as being labelled as ‘Wekwicha’ in 1221. It adds that the word ‘Wic’ is old English for ‘dairy farm’, while ‘Wike’ was derived from an old surname. So, to some effect, the eccentric name translates to ‘Wick’s Dairy Farm’.
The building used to serve as a farmhouse, but was converted into a public house some decades ago. It’s a pub that could be considered a ‘must visit’ for collectors of eccentric British pub names and cricket enthusiasts alike, as Downend is itself the birthplace of cricketing legend WG Grace.