During the great French raid of 1338 it was badly damaged but only required a repair job when other parts of the city were destroyed.
In 1494 the building was for the first time converted into a public house after being bought by brewer Rowland Johnson who named it Bere House or Brew House.
Johnson not only sold drink but also started brewing his own and subsequently set up the city's first brewery.
Port books of the day record the importation of his brewing equipment and brewing hops from his native town in what is now Holland.
In 1620 the pub would have been passed many times by the Pilgrim Fathers on their way to the Mayflower, which sailed its maiden voyage to the New World from the bottom of Bugle Street.
After the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the owners of the pub celebrated by changing its name to that of the victorious Duke of Wellington who had become a national hero.
