In 1898 the Jackson family acquired the Bell Inn. Joseph Jackson bought the Bell Inn on Trafalgar Day 1898 (21st October) for £12,500, starting more than a century of Inn keeping by the family. Joseph’s wife Mary established Market Dinners, which consisted of Beef, vegetables, Stilton cheese and a pint of Nottingham ale - all for one shilling.
Joseph died in 1913, but Mary continued running the Bell on her own through the first world war until her death and due to a quirk in her will the Inn had to go to auction and Robert, who was the youngest of their seven children, secured the Inn for £26,000.
In 1928 Robert Jackson built the premier "Snack Bar" onto the rear of the pub. It was the first bar to offer full meals served in an almost ‘café bar’ atmosphere, and it held the first ‘jukebox’, or its forerunner, a large cabinet radio gramophone, playing 78" records
Robert Jackson died suddenly in 1934, leaving a widow. Dorothy continued the family business throughout the difficulties of the 1930s and the Second World War, which on 5th May 1940, included a stick of bombs (two only 25 yards away)
1953 their son David joined Dorothy and whilst renovating the ground floor public rooms they opened the first floor family accommodation to public use, and this is still in use today as The Belfry Restaurant.
In 1982, the secretary of state advised the family that the Bell Inn has been included in the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest (Grade II)
In 1984 Dorothy died in her 50th year as licensee and David, with two of his sons Paul and Richard went through another period of renovation, which led to the snack bar being increased again in size in 1991.
1998 was the centenary year for the Jacksons brought about some special products - Innkeepers Century Ale and Innkeepers Trafalgar Ale, to commemorate the day Joseph purchased the Bell, as well as a Bell Inn Jacksons Centenary embossed glass tankard to drink them from.
In 2002 the Jackson family sold the Bell Inn to Hardys & Hansons Brewery, which was inm turn sold to thje Greene King Brewery, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in 2006.
