A celebrated historian and the chairman of a community pub have joined forces to take people on a pub crawl through history.
Alex Begg - chairman of Gressenhall Community Enterprise which brought back the community-owned pub the White Swan - hosted a tour of the former pubs and ale houses in the village.
Local historian Dr Bridget Yates led a group of walkers around the sites of Gressenhall's former pubs and beer houses, bringing to life the stories and characters associated with these historical pubs.
Mr Begg said he was inspired to organise the event after reading an article about the former pubs of Duxford.
He said: “We are incredibly grateful to Bridget, pubs of the past homeowners who so kindly opened their doors and gardens, Simon at the shop for selling tickets and to the marshals for making sure that the event ran smoothly and safely.”
Groups of 30 people took in two-and-a-half hour walking tours of the seven pub sites, of which only one is still operating as a watering hole.
The pubs included the White Swan, Horseshoes, Bridge House, Royal Oak (now a site of bungalows immediately opposite Swan), Bushy House, The Victory (now Eel’s Foot), and Chequers.
Dr Yates undertook research from the Norfolk Records Office, private artifacts and memories passed down through local families to give attendees an insight into the village's history.
The group now hopes Dr Yates will be able to do another village tour on a different theme.
Facts about every pub in the village:
The White Swan
An unspecified reference in the 1648 Ale Recognizance likely relates to The Swan, the only Alehouse at the time.
There is a definitive reference to The Swan in a 1688 document run in tenancy by a John Pudding, when it was still part of a farm.
If you can help solve a mystery – Dr Yates is still looking for further information about when the pub was rebuilt (believed to be early 20th Century). Email bridget.yates@tiscali.co.uk if you can help fill in the gaps.
The Horseshoes
The second oldest pub in the village dates back to at least 1789. The Horseshoes was diversified in 1920s to host cooking and laundry classes in 1920s for local girls, and it closed in 1963.
Bridge House
The was a beer house built by a local carpenter who made money working in London to pay for its opening in the 1860s. It was a Bullards pub at the time it closed in 1915.
The Royal Oak
Wheelwright John Dodman diversified into the pub trade according to an 1834 record. The pub was run by Mr Dodman's descendants - for a while they ran both the Royal Oak and The Swan at the same time.
The Royal Oak had a large barn so it was preferred for larger gatherings. Steward and Patterson were the last owners before the pub closed in 1917, and it was pulled down by David Bunning in the late 1960s.
The Bushy House
Described in the 1871 census as being licensed premises, the Bushy House was run by a publican by the name of John Flowers. He sold up seven years later and retired to Dereham. It had the shortest life of Gressenhall’s pubs of the past.
The Victory
A former auctioneer, James Christmas, was listed as the Victory's publican in 1836, and the pub was run by his widow from 1841 to 1857. It was renamed as Eel’s Foot in 1861 by which time there was no licence. The occupant was a farrier so is assumed the pub had stopped trading by this time.
Chequers
This pub was first mentioned in 1789 after it was built by Stephen Scott. He could not make it pay, so he mortgaged Chequers to John Patteson of Norwich.
The pub changed hands many times, with Mr Patteson selling it to Dereham Brewery, who sold to James Maris of Duke of York Brewery in Dereham in 1828. It was then sold to Morse and Woods of Swaffham.
Robert Tye was a tenant from at least 1836 and was landlord until 1875, having survived an accident with a mule. Mr Tye had borrowed the animal from John Hewitt, a baker. He was in the act of putting a bridle on its head when it reared up and seized hold of Mr Tye’s right ear with its teeth. His feet became entangled and he fell, with the mule landing on top of him.
The animal then bit the pub man on his hands, arms and shoulders. It was some time before he could move, but he ultimately turned over. The mule then left him. Mr Tye crept to a hedge and called Mrs Webb for help.
By 1953, the pub was only selling two barrels of beer a week before it closed in 1955.
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