During a past rebuilding of the inn, the evidence of an early construction was revealed in the form of a wall of wattle and daub. However, of a more definite date, in 1635 William Lowndes, a yeoman of the town, was ordered to appear at the Bell in connection with Ship Money, (a ploy by which Charles I hoped to raise money in the absence of Parliament), whilst for those who were guilty of greater crimes, a lock up stood ready at the rear of the building. As one of the most prominent venues in the town, upon the occasion of the fire service coming under the control of the Rural District Council, and not the parish council, at the Bell in March 1939 a complementary dinner was given for the members of the Winslow Fire Brigade, and the event also expressed a public appreciation of the service of the Brigade throughout the previous 68 years. Shortly after the outbreak of World War Two training airfields were established at Wing and Little Horwood, and with the Bell becoming greatly favoured by the airmen, the pilots, who were mostly Australian, began a custom whereby banknotes of their native currency would be pinned to the timber beams. However, after the war the inn became renowned for a more unusual ‘custom’ which even acquired a national notoriety, for apparently without the least provocation, excepting some minor instance of appearance or dress, the management would often eject unfortunate customers without the least regard for their status or protest!