The Cross Keys - Public House and Carvery, Wood End

We are the first pub, restaurant and carvery that combines excellent food and a warm family atmosphere.

We are passionate at The Cross Keys in providing outstanding customer service and a memorable food experience.

We truly believe we have something for every taste from Friday night Fish and Chips to Sunday all day carvery! We also have a mouth watering selection of pastas, pizzas and homemade exquisite desserts. See our 2011 Christmas Menu - we think you will like it.

The Cross Keys also has a full pub games list, which include darts and skittles teams. We are also very proud to announce our very own football team!! There is a television in every bar and sports channels are shown including 'live' football.

Also on The Cross Keys site is Tre Fratelli Ristorante for a unique eating experience. Carmine, Libby, their three sons and a team of professional staff provide an exemplary standard of quality and service.

HISTORY OF THE CROSS KEYS

Licensing registers state that the Cross Keys beerhouse was first licensed in 1836. It was sold by William Boyce to the oddly-named West Lilley in 1840, who mortgaged it to Ebenezer Burr in 1859. The mortgage was redeemed in 1874 when Lilly sold the premises to Bedford brewer Frederick Thomas Young. The Cross keys had been leased to Kempston brewer Sir William Long and his company, taken over by his son-in-law Robert Newland on his death in 1846 was sold to Bedford brewer Thomas Jarvis in 1873. Young, in partnership with William Pritzler Newland, grandson of Robert, also owned the Shoulder of Mutton in Green End and the Smith's Arms in what is now Margetts Road, in Up End. He mortgaged them to Charles Mitchell in 1874 and to William George Carter Mitchell in 1875.

Young must have sold out to Newland in 1877 as in that year Newland mortgaged various licensed properties including the Cross Keys to Charles William Powell. He redeemed the mortgage with Charles Mitchell in 1883 and re-mortgaged with Henry Raynes and George Race, that mortgage being transferred to Susan Milburn Mitchell in 1889. In 1890 Newland merged his business with that of Bedford brewer William Joseph Nash's widow Susan to form Newland & Nash, which became a public limited company in 1897. Newland & Nash was taken over by Biggleswade brewers Wells & Winch in 1924, who were themselves taken over by Suffolk brewers Greene King in 1961. The Cross Keys had become a fully licensed public house just before this on 10 Mar 1960.

In 1927 Bedfordshire was valued under the Rating Valuation Act 1925; each piece of land and building was valued to determine the rates to be paid on it. The valuer at the Cross Keys found a brick and slate building with accommodation comprising a tap room ["fair"], cellar, kitchen, living room and front room downstairs with three bedrooms above; outside were three small barns and an earth closet. Overall he found a: "Nice little house but trade poor". This weekly trade consisted of 1½ barrels and 3½ dozen bottles of beer - the problem was that there was: "No one to Buy Beer". However, the establishment survived and is still a public house but now with a restaurant - Tre Fratelli Ristorante Italiano.