Around the Pub
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We're still gathering images and information about the things around the pub so this page is not yet complete. Please keep checking back for more information!
The Pub Signs
When we took over The Six Bells, our aim was to preserve and appreciate the history of the pub, as well as pubs in general. Our signs are hand-painted, as they likely were before at many points in the past. The background is painted using coach enamel, and the lettering and bells are painted using lining enamel. The signs took a couple of weeks to complete, with 24 hours drying time between each layer, as well as a lot of work to prepare the signs and weatherproof them afterwards.
Location in pub: Outside
The Highchair
This type of highchair has been dated back to as early as 1890. The highchair has hinges and wheels, so most likely folds and converts into a walker or rocker.
Location in pub: Back porch
The Glory Hunters by D. M. Dent
The Glory Hunters (1999) is a limited edition print by David M Dent, one half of the Dent Brothers, who specialise in equine art. The print is edition 142 of 380 and is signed in pencil in the bottom right corner. Dent’s work is renowned for its lifelike depiction of horses and riders, celebrating the spirit of horse racing as well as the timeless beauty of our British countryside. The white horse pictured is thought to be famous racehorse, Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006), affectionately known as Dessie.
Location in pub: Porch of back entrance
The Minstrel Suite
“The Minstrel Suite” is the name of our function room, and is named after minstrels’ galleries, the style of gallery that is present in the room. These galleries were built into the great halls of castles and manors from the 12th century onward, and their purpose was originally to give musicians (typically minstrels) a place to perform discretely above guests, while feasts, banquets, or dances took place below. Places such as Durham Castle, Exeter Cathedral, and the Louvre in Paris all feature minstrels’ galleries, however theirs are a bit bigger than ours.
Location in pub: Door of function room
The Pytchley Hunt by Charles Lorraine Smith
These 8 prints form a complete series of hunting scenes by British artist and politician Charles Lorraine Smith (1751-1835). Smith was celebrated for his humorous and spirited depictions of country sport. The set was originally created by Charles Lorraine Smith and then later engraved and published by Francis Jukes in 1790, so that the art could be circulated more widely. The eight hunting prints depict the great Pytchley Hunt, an organisation now known as the Pytchley with Woodland Hunt, which can be traced back to 1635. This set is the only visual record of the hunt led by the celebrated huntsman Dick Knight. At that time there existed a great rivalry between the Quornites and the Pytchley followers. The prints follow the various mishaps and eventual triumph of Dick Knight. Knight used three horses during the course of the run in order to achieve his victory.
Location in pub: Throughout the hallway leading from the back door to the bar
Hunting Types by Lionel Edwards
Hunting Types is a set of sporting prints, the original set created in 1912 by Lionel Edwards (1878 - 1966), one of Britain’s foremost equestrian and hunting artists. Edward’s depictions of different characters from the hunting world were intended to be both humorous and affectionate. Each print portrays a type of hunting character, such as The M.F.H. (Master of Foxhounds), The Thruster (an eager or reckless rider), and The Dealer’s Man, the horse dealer’s assistant. The set has six prints, however there are only three present in the pub.
Location in pub: Throughout the hallway leading from the back door to the bar
Don's Dream
The Don's Dream folder has sat in the Six Bells for years, and shows a collection of images cataloguing the renovations to the pub that took place in 1994.
We have digitised the contents of the folder so that they can be viewed online, which you can view by clicking here.
Location in pub: On the bookshelf, in the Bar
Penmark Past by Maureen Burrows
“Penmark Past” by Maureen Bullows is a local history book about the village of Penmark in the Vale of Glamorgan. First published in 1995, it offers 79 pages of historical detail, photographs, and anecdotes about the parish, its people, and its landmarks. It’s considered a scarce title today, often only available second‑hand.
Location in pub: On the bookshelf, in the Bar
Cuckoo Marans in the Taproom by Derek Brock
Cuckoo Marans in the Taproom is a memoir by Derek Brock, first published in 1985, about his experiences as an innkeeper at the Six Bells Inn in Penmark, Vale of Glamorgan. It’s both a personal story and a slice of village life, capturing the humour and challenges of running a traditional country pub. The title refers to Cuckoo Marans, a breed of chicken, symbolising the eccentricities and rural flavour of pub life. It’s filled with anecdotes about local characters, village traditions, and the everyday humour and trials of being a publican in rural Wales.
Location in pub: On the bookshelf, in the Bar
Becky's Drawing
Becky’s drawing of the Six Bells, started and finished within the month of September 2025. Taking around 5 hours to complete, the drawing was created using black ink on white card. It’s framed off in a cut off of Country Pursuits wallpaper (by Lewis & Wood), found under a chair in the pub. The wallpaper once lined one side of the main Bar area, however was lost to renovations under previous management in 2024. The frame was rescued from a local charity shop.
Location in pub: Left side of bar
Six Bells Enamel Sign
This enamel sign is originally from around 1920, and was created for The Six Bells when it was controlled by Welsh brewery, Hancock & Co. Kyle was searching online for Hancock’s HB ale pump badges, when he stumbled across the sign being sold by an antiques dealership based in Plymouth. We’re so proud to have brought it home where it can stay, displayed proudly in our bar.
Location in pub: Above fireplace in Bar
Six Bells Inn / W M Hancock Sign
This sign sits above the Bar fireplace, featuring two Hancock’s “drinking men” on either side. R Styles refers to Robert/Bob styles, who was landlord in the early 60s before passing the pub to his daughter and son-in-law in 1962.
Location in pub: Above fireplace in Bar
King's Head Enamel Sign
The image of the “drinking man” was typical of Hancock’s branding at the time. The logo was created to represent satisfied Hancock’s customers, raising a pint of their ale in celebration. It was used widely in Hancock’s pubs across Southern Wales and South West England, before the brewery was absorbed into Brains Brewery in 1999. The sign itself is from another pub, most likely The Kings Head in Llantwit Major or Bridgend.
Location in pub: Above pew to right of fireplace in Bar.
Bar Table
This bar table is an example of a Victorian or Edwardian cast-iron tripod table, likely originating between 1880 and 1910. The design is distinctly late-19th century, with caryatid-style female figures on each leg (caryatids are cloaked female figures, used as a pillars or supports). On the base, you can clearly read “B.Goodall Furnishers, Burton-on-Trent”, which tells us the table is British-made, originating in Staffordshire. The base is cast iron and the top is varnished wood. The tripod legs are a hallmark on classic pub furniture, as the three legs provide stability on uneven floors (they wobble a lot less). It’s easy to miss as it’s just a table, but it’s a piece of British industrial and social history.
Location in pub: The snug, in the bar.
More History…
Have you seen our History page? It's got more information about the past of the Six Bells and Penmark itself. Click the button below to go there.
History