Opponents were accused of forming illegal puritan conventicles and alehouses. Like most British towns Highbridge has had its ample share of alehouses and inns. By 1710 there were approximately fifty inns and alehouses in the town. In the heyday of the coaching era, Wetherby had up to forty inns and alehouses. In 1800 six inns were listed in Grantham, together with 21 alehouses. At its peak the village had four large inns, ten smaller alehouses and a blacksmith. The bedrooms in these inns and alehouses could be very primitive indeed. Often they were innkeepers or ran alehouses. At one time certain pubs, known as alehouses, were allowed to sell only beer. In 1661 two parishioners were keeping unlicensed alehouses and in 1755 two victualers were licensed. There were three unlicensed alehouses or beerhouses in 1644. The Marquess was a teetotal Quaker and closed all the alehouses on the estate. However, alehouses were closely regulated by Puritan-controlled governments in both England and America. Around 1700 a number of unlicensed alehouses were opened and soon closed by the constables. There were three alehouses licensed in the village in 1632.