Reg Cundick and Danny Howell in the book The Inns And Taverns Of Warminster, published in November 1987, stated:
The Ship Inn was recorded by both Daniell and Halliday. It was in existence during the early 1700s.
It was situated immediately west of the building known today as Warminster Arts Centre (the former Athenaeum).
The Ship closed in March 1901 and was demolished soon afterwards, allowing the former cul-de-sac of Common Close (now The Close) to join with the High Street, making it a through-way with Portway. The Close was made a one-way street, much later, in July 1943.
The last tenant of The Ship was George Hitchings, and the last owner was Mr. Hicks, a baker and confectioner in business at the High Street. He was known locally as “the midnight baker” on account of the late hour he often returned to his shop after making his deliveries to the villages around Warminster.
When The Ship closed, the licence was not discontinued, because Hicks applied for it to be transferred to him so that he could sell drink from the house next door to his shop. He was granted the licence on condition that he made certain alterations to his property. Hicks said the house would be re-named when such work was completed but it would not be called The Ship.
By February 1903 no alterations had been carried out, and at the annual Brewster Sessions, a Brewery representative said the licence would be relinquished. The magistrates agreed with this decision because the Nag’s Head beerhouse at Portway had applied for a full licence and in consequence there would be no change in the number of licensed houses in the town.