Bells and Motley (At the 'Bells and Motley')

The Bells and Motley is an inn in the village of Kirklington Mallet in Wiltshire. It is frequented by both Mr Satterthwaite and Harley Quin. The landlord is a man named William Jones who is reputed to serve good food. Indeed, despite Mr Satterthwaite's high standards, he enjoyed the steak and potatoes served there. According to locals, it is a place where "odd folks" go to, odd folks that "come and go".

The Bells and Motley is located fifteen miles from Abbot's Mede and about forty miles from Marswick Manor.

Appearances

 * At the 'Bells and Motley'
 * The Voice in the Dark

The name
A motley is a type of clothing often associated with Harlequin, a character from the Italian Commedia dell'arte, and thus also Harley Quin.

Mr Satterthwaite observes that it is "an odd name" and not one he had seen before. However in the Christie canon, "Bells and Motley" is actually the name of three different inns.

In the novel Murder is Easy, there is an inn named the Bells and Motley in the village Wychwood under Ashe, situated in Surrey or somewhere south of London. Likewise, in Taken at the Flood, an inn of the same name is mentioned, located in the village of Warmsley Vale twenty-eight miles from London. However, as stated in The Voice in the Dark, the Satterthwaite "Bells and Motley" is a different inn, situated in Kirklington Mallet, Wiltshire.