The Duke Hotel is a Victorian pub and hotel that dates back to  1843. 
Originally, it had its own brewery out back, and the coach house,
now referred to as "The Duchess Lounge",
is used as Coffee shop & tea room in the morning, and, 
as function facility for private dining, classes and events in the evening.
It is said that The Duke is named after Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of
Wellington, as his portrait has always been used for the Duke's pub sign.

Some others say that The Duke's name refers to Henry Somerset, 7th Duke of Beaufort
because his coat of arms is used as a logo for the old coach house.
There is also a story about The Duke of Beaufort, which, at the time of the construction of the pub, his name was taken into consideration to be used as the name of the pub;
however, at that time, he was reluctant to associate his name with a pub insisting,
instead, that it should be called, simply, The Duke Hotel.
 We know that both Dukes lived during the time of the pub's construction and that The Duke of Beaufort helped the Duke of Wellington during the war in Portugal between 1812 and 1814.

Rumour has it that the first incarnation of the village pub was actually next door to the church, a stone’s throw across the road. However, its location displeased a Victorian vicar, and he had it rebuilt in its current spot around 1843. Intriguingly, there still remains a secret passageway buried deep in the beer cellar, connecting The Duke to the basement of the church. The stone walls of the pub have been built using the original stone coming from the village' old Manor house which was destroyed from a terrible fire some time before the construction of the pub. Some of our neighbor houses also share the same stone walls history.

Today, all we know is that The Duke Hotel is an independently run Free-house pub,
restaurant and hotel set in the quaint village of Hilmarton
a largely rural village on the north side of Wiltshire.
The Duke offers 4 stunning en-suite boutique rooms, a private function building, 5 caravan pitches and a beautiful back garden all with a view of  Hilmarton's scenic beauty.