Jolly Porter, formerly the Elmfield Hotel, St David's Hill

An interesting public house, just opposite Brunel's handsome St David's Station. Originally called the Elmfield Hotel, it was ideally placed to provide refreshment for travellers coming to and from the station by coach and horse omnibus from the city centre. From 1882 to 1905, it was on a handy, horse drawn, tram line to the city centre.

It is believed by one source that there is evidence to show that the site was originally a water mill, driven by the Taddyforde Brook. If it was a water mill, it was most likely to be a grist or corn mill rather than a fulling mill, although the site does not seem right, to my eyes.

A sale advert for Elmfield House, now the Imperial Hotel, in May 1843 states "... There is also a spacious yard with brewhouse, stabling for seven horses, and three carriage houses, with men's room over, and hay loft." which sounds remarkably like the smaller, portion of the present Jolly Porter, on the right hand side.

A New Hotel

Edwin Banfield is responsible for much of the early history of the Elmfield Hotel. He was listed in 1861 living with his wife and five children in Elmfield Cottage which was in New North Road, somewhere above the site of the Elmfield Hotel. He wasn't a young man, 48 years old and employed as an agricultural labourer. A few years before, in 1856 Mrs Banfield placed an advert to care for "An Insane or Nervous Patient... in a healthy village in Somersetshire" with Elm Field Cottage as the contact address.

An advert in a June 1863 Flying Post states:

"BANFIELD'S ELM-FIELD INN, COMMERCIAL AND FAMILY HOTEL, opposite the Railway Station, St. David's, Exeter, is now opened, and the Proprietor trusts that his establishment will deserve the patronage of all classes. By moderate charges, he hopes to command a liberal share of support".

By the next September, Edwin Banfield had applied for a wine and spirit licence for the "house was newly built". How Banfield managed to open the Elmfield is not known - he may have been a freeholder of his cottage and land, and sold it to raise the capital. What is known is that the Elmfield Hotel was the first of at least three establishments that Banfield and his son Douglas were associated with. By 1871 he was listed in the census as a licensed victualler at the Red Cow Inn and Douglas was listed running the Museum Hotel, Queen Street in 1889.

Edwin Banfield was fined 10s, in 1868, for trading out of hours, an offence that was proven by PC Abraham. In 1879, the hotel hosted the annual Railway Employees' Supper of the Great Western Railway. The supper for 50 persons ended with a discussion on the low wages of the average railway worker. The hotel also hosted in 1882, a special meeting of the Loyal Samaritan Lodge 540 of the Ancient Order of Druids, when the Mayor was initiated as an honoury member.

The 1881 census still lists Banfield as a hotel keeper, with his wife and a gaggle of boarders and servants. His son Douglas, who had taken over the Elmfield by 1897 was, in 1881 an engine fitter. An intriguing exercise in hiding one's age is shown by the 1871 to 1901 census records for Sarah Sumner, who was the hotel manager between 1881 and 1906. Her age is given as 42 in 1871, 30 in 1881, 60 in 1891 and 73 in 1901. The hotel issued cheques as early as 1869.

1878 - Elmfield Hotel, Edwin Banfield - White's
1881 - Edwin Banfield, his wife and one son according to the census.
1895 - Elmfield Hotel, Banfield D.(ouglas) St Davids - Besley's
1897 - Elmfield Commercial, Edwin Banfield, St. David's Hill, Exeter - Kelly's
1906 - Elmfield Hotel, Sumner, Miss S., Red Cow Village - Besley's 
1909 - Elmfield hotel, Jas. Middleton, St. David's hill, Exeter - Kelly's
1923 - Elmfield hotel, Jas. Middleton, St. David's hill, Exeter - Post Office
1936 - Elmfield, Middleton, J., Red Cow Village Besley's
1948 - Elmfield, L. H. Trim, Red Cow Village - Besley's 1956 - Elmfield (Douglas Conaway, propr.), St David's Hill - Kelly's
1957 - Jolly Porter, St. David's hill - Kelly's
1967 - Jolly Porter, St. David's hill - Kelly's

Elmfield token from 1879.

The Elmfield was renamed the Jolly Porter in 1957. In 1965, after he had recorded Wednesday Morning 3AM with Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon toured England and performed at the Exeter Folk Club hosted by the Jolly Porter. 

In 1988, it was briefly named George's Drink and Food Factory after the Hofmeister Bear used in TV adverts at that time. During the last few years the Jolly Porter has played host to many bands and groups. One such band, was the Bootleg Beatles who filled the place with pure nostalgia. During 2006, the Jolly Porter was closed for a refurbishment - from a tired and obviously deteriorating public house it has been transformed into a well restored establishment. The old sign does not appear to have survived. It is also a wireless hotspot for those who can't get enough of the web!

Source: Trade directories, census returns, the Express and Echo, Trewman's Exeter Flying Post, and Hazel Harvey. ©2008 David Cornforth