There are a fair selection of pubs in Norwich in this batch, some still exist, some don’t, all are interesting in one way or another. These are in no particular order and are pretty much straight out of the box.

Norwich 1960s Part 2

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The Plough Inn, Farmer’s Avenue.

Most people my age know this as The Rouen which it was from 1973. Before that it was The Plough Inn and previous to that as The Plough and Horses, its proximity to the cattle market probably having some influence on that. It dates from at least the 1820s and may have a history as a coaching inn. During the war it was damaged during the Baedeker Raids and was subsequently used as a Military Police headquarters until 1946 when it was re-licensed by Morgans.

 

Kings Head, Middle Street (St Georges)

This one is lost to all intents and purposes, it would have been in the vicinity of Regus Norwich, an area that was largely redeveloped in the 1980s. There are two things of interest here, firstly the that fact that HMSO is in situ, which dates it to later than 1963, so probably the late 1960s, also you can see the original red tiling on Sovereign House and the lack of shuttering which was added in the 1980s. It was a small pub with quite a large yard that backed onto another lost pub, the Fortune of War. It opened in 1806 and closed in 1932. the building next door just in shot was a brush factory.

 

The Bell Hotel

Still there, now a chain pub, it has worn many clothes over the years inclusing being something of an alternative establishment for a while in the 1980s. As a side note I worked opposite this in what was then called Heroes a takeaway bar in the late 1980s. The sport with some miscreants back then was getting drunk, buying a burger and then driving past and trying to throw it through the serving hole at whoever was standing inside cooking, sometimes this would be me. Ah the good old days. (Addenda – Arnold Wesker worked at the Bell. Thanks to Susan Gardiner for that little fact.)

 

The Duke’s Palace Inn, Duke Street.

Listed as 7 Duke Street, Palace Yard. It has a long and quite quirky history for what is basically a tin and brick shed (this is in fact not the case, this was in fact an auction room, or at least was used as one until 1968). The pub is in fact the buildings on the left – you can find more on the pub here. It shut in 1968 and is now buried under St Andrew’s Multi Storey Car Park as far as I can ascertain. Duke street takes it’s name from the rather more palatial setting of the Duke’s palace that once stood beside the river rather than the pub.

 

Berstrete gates, Ber Street.

The Berstrete gates, Norwich. It’s still there it’s still a pub, It features a Moray-Smith plaque of the original city gate which stood nearby. You can read about that here.

 

The Nag’s Head

The Nag’s Head stood and stands at 27/29 Kings Street. It’s now called Kings but has been Barrios and Tusks in recent years. I’ll never completely understand why pub names get changed, but they do and actually always have done to a certain extent. It’s changed relatively little over the last 150 years apart from with the fashion…

 

The Ship, Gas Hill.

Listed as both Thorpe Hamlet and Mousehold Heath, Norwich, it appears to have opened in the middle of the 19th century. It was killed by Watneys in the 1970s along with a huge number of other pubs. Having previously been owned by Bullards. It stood near the corner of St Leonards Road and Gas Hill. Demolished.

 

The Lame Dog.

The Lame Dog stood on the corner of Queens Road and Surrey Street, it seems to have moved several times along Queens Road from opening in 1810, closed in 1976, demolished. You can read more about it on Joe Mason’s site here.

 

The Golden Star

The Golden star remain as always where it’s always been, first licensed in 1864 an ale house may have stood here as far back as 1600 on what was quite an important road through the and out of the city. The current building is partly Edwardian. Recently it suffered a car entering through the front, rather than me. Originally a Bullard’s house it’s now a Greene King. The food is nice.

 

The Wildman

Another pub that still exists, named after Peter the Wild Boy who is alleged to have lived in Norwich. More here at Heart. Interesting to note the weavers windows next door.

With thanks again to Julie Chettleburgh.

Part 1 – is here

Part 2 – Norwich Pubs is here

Part 3 Norwich churches is here

Part 4 Norwich streets is here

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