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The Bernard Arms was a public house at the junction of Church Lane and the A4010, opposite the church of St Nicholas. It dated back to the 18th Century when it was known as “The Chequers”. In 1802 Scrope Bernard purchased the Little Kimble Estate from the Spencer family and that included the pub although it is mainly in Great Kimble parish. The name was changed to the “Bear and Cross” although it is often referred to in documents as just “The Bear”. The bear and cross are on the coat of arms of the Bernard family and the bear is a rebus [visual pun] on the motto “Bear and forbear”
The present A4010 was built as a turnpike by a turnpike trust which included Scrope Bernard. It ran from a junction with the Wendover to Aylesbury turnpike at World’s End to a Junction with the Oxford turnpike at the Pedestal, West Wycombe. The local gate for the turnpike was initially by the “Crown”/”Rose and Crown” pub in Little Kimble but was then moved to the junction of the Ellesborough Road and the Bernard Arms was used as a coaching inn with extensive stables and a shop. At the peak of coaching more than forty stage coaches went through Wycombe every day.
In the early 20th Century the pub was run by the Durling family and when Mr Durling died his wife kept it. In the 1930’s the pub was extensively rebuilt and the stables went, along with the shop. The pub became more up-market and the name was changed to “The Bernard Arms” and it also operated as a hotel with some custom from the Chequers Estate. It was run by the Fraser family whose son was to win a Victoria Cross in the Second World War. After the war it was run by the Browns and counted both Edward Heath and Harold Wilson amongst its customers. It became successful again in the 1990’s when it was notable for good food under the management of Pierre Grey and his wife.
Unfortunately, when he left, it passed through a number of hands, and had a series of failures. Marc and Janine Marryatt took over and it was successful for a time but large investment was needed and after Marc and Janine left for South Africa the investment company which held the lease wanted to develop the site for housing. After remaining abandoned and derelict for several years it was demolished and the site remains empty although planning permission has been granted.
