Pub history
The White Ball Inn
Discover the history of lace-making in Tiverton.

Situated on the west bank of the River Exe, this pub continues the name of the old inn which has been here since at least the early 19th century. This inn was originally an L-shaped building with 12 bedrooms, plus stables at the rear. For very many years, the inn was a meeting place for local dignitaries and Tiverton’s tradesmen. Horse sales and furniture auctions were also held regularly at this venue.
A photograph and text about Joyce Wethered


The text reads: Joyce Wethered (Lady Heathcoat-Amory)
Joyce Wethered, considered to be the greatest female golfer of all time, was born on 17 November 1901 in Witley, Surrey. She won the English Ladies Championship five consecutive times from 1920 and won the British Women’s Championship four times in six attempts. Bobby Jones, billed as the most famous golfer in history said, “I had never played golf with anyone, man or woman, amateur or professional, who made me feel so utterly outclassed”.
In 1937, Joyce Wethered married Sir John Heathcoat-Amory, becoming Lady Heathcoat-Amory, and lived at Knighthayes House, near Tiverton.
Joyce Wethered died on Wednesday, 20 November 1997, at the age of 96.
Photograph courtesy of the Hulton Getty Picture Library
A painting and text about John Heathcoat


The text reads: John Heathcoat (1783–1861)
John Heathcoat was born in the village of Duffield, near Derby, in 1783.
He established a lace-making factory at Loughborough. On the night of 28 June 1816, the factory was attacked by Luddites. That summer, he bought a new wool factory in Tiverton, which had previously closed in 1815. Loyal craftsmen made the 200-mile journey to Tiverton on foot.
The factory was a great success. John Heathcoat invented the new bobbin-net machine, a ‘kind of mechanical pillow’ which could imitate real pillow lace but much faster. By 1822, the factory was employing over 1,500 people.
John Heathcoat built the first West Country factory school, which opened on New Year’s Day in 1843 ‘to educate the children of parents of all denominations’.
He became an MP in December 1832 but remained a backbencher until his death in 1861.
The net for Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding veil was made at the Tiverton factory.
A photograph of Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the veil

Text about Bridge Street

The text reads: The bridge was originally built some time before 1400 but rebuilt after the floods of the 1960s. The White Ball Inn was owned by the ‘Mary Rice’ charity, and in 1697 the rent was a mere £31 a year.