Britannia inn, Alcombe

By the early 19th century there were two public houses at Alcombe. The London Inn, near the tollhouse on the Minehead turnpike road, had possibly ceased to be a public house long before 1840, and was occupied by a grocer, draper and butcher who went bankrupt before 1845. It was probably replaced by the Britannia, which opened shortly before 1851 and in the 1860s was kept by a mason’s wife. It also had no accommodation for travellers but had a skittle alley in 1910. It had a rather dubious reputation but was remodelled and enlarged to include a saloon and tea room c.1921 to appeal to tourists.