Barnwells has been one of Cerne Abbas’s 13 inns, The Nag’s Head. The carriageway, now a garage, suggests that it was built as an inn. It was here that, in 1589, Walter Raleigh and his son Carlew are said to have been tried for apostacy.

The Symonds family held it for at least 50 years during the 18th century and it passed by marriage into the Barnwell family for another 70 years or so.

Edwin Clark was the licencee for its final years as an inn and when Edwin died in about 1890 the the inn became a house.

The Cerne Friendly Society was established in 1785. It frequently met in the Nags Head. The token shown below carries the initials or Richard Barnwell the Innkeeper in 1805 and a nags head symbol. It was probably issued by the Society to members attending meetings to be exchanged for suitable sustanance.

1805 Friendly Society Token	1805 Friendly Society Token

It has a barn (formerly stabling) in the garden and extensive flint cobbling, now hidden under lawns which obviously formed a busy back yard to the inn.

Nags Head Stables