Fakenham's Pubs, Inns and Beer Houses |
Many of our historic inns, pubs and beer houses are still with us today, not necessarily trading as such but enjoying a new lease of life as homes or commercial properties. There are of course casualties, as one or two have sadly been lost forever!
We hope you enjoy with interest the selection below. Images can be expanded with a single click! Further content will be added as details or pictures become available. For those who are interested, a more in-depth account can be found by visiting the Norfolk Pubs website (Fakenham) where comprehensive details of dates, licensees and other historic facts and figures can be found. |
We are always grateful for the opportunity to scan interesting local pictures or receive digital copies via email to add to the growing Community Archive. If you have anything interesting you'd like to contribute then please contact us on 01328 863377 or email us via the ‘contact us’ section of this website.
ANCHOR
Holt Road Previously called the RED COW or the COW before and/or by 1836 and until 1890. Listed as the ANCHOR in an 1890 directory and until closure on 9th April 1965. Picture taken in 1953 during the Queen's coronation. The building today exists as a residential dwelling. |
BELL
Norwich Road (formerly Station Road) Records of licensees date back as far as 1789. Closed on 24th October 1967. After closure the building was used as store rooms before being demolished and the land redeveloped into retail premises and a car park. Picture c1904 when Richard Richardson was licensee. |
CROWN HOTEL
6 Market Place Closed on 6th March 2009 and has remained vacant since. This inn was built following a fire in 1738 which destroyed many buildings around the Market Place. The inn has been known as The CROWN from at least 1795 when mentioned in the diary of Mary Hardy. |
RED LION HOTEL
37 Market Place Pre 1682 - 1974 Closed on 1st November 1974. The building was used as Council offices from 1976 to September 2000. Today it is home to the Gallery Bistro Sports Bar, Restaurant and Coffee shop. When Alice kept the Red Lion.
Pictured is an old visiting card for the Red Lion Hotel which dates from 1871-72 when Alice Bishop was licensee of the house. Apart from boasting ‘Wines and Spirits of the best quality’ and ‘Excellent Stabling’ there was the convenience of an ‘Omnibus service to meet every train’. |
LORD NELSON
4 Nelson Road (formerly Hayes Lane) Previously The SPREAD EAGLE to c1808. Also known as The NELSON'S HEAD Closed by 1994. Unfortunately the archive doesn't yet have any external pictures of the Nelson taken at the time it was open. Any pictures or memories of the pub in its heyday would be warmly received. We do however have a newspaper cutting from the 1970s which shows licensees Jimmy and Joyce Easter with celebrity comedian Bob Monkhouse and the team of fundraisers. The pub raised £1033.33 for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) in response to a challenge laid down by the star comedian. Any pictures or memories of the pub in its heyday would be warmly received. |
ROYAL OAK
Oak Street Pre 1873 Closed 1st December 1975. Following closure the former Royal Oak was renovated and reopened as a craft centre and coffee shop. The building today exists as offices for William H Brown Estate Agents |
CORN EXCHANGE
Oak Street. (Grimes Yard) Built in 1855 and contained a spacious corn exchange, assembly rooms and library. Listed as the CORN HALL TAVERN 1856 - 1872 with William Grimes, age 42, as licensee. Recorded as the CORN EXCHANGE in 1861. Licensee William Grimes died in 1872 with no apparent successor (?) |
THE BREWERS ARMS
Tunn Street, Cross Quaker Lane, also previousl known as York Street. 1826 - 1872 CLOSED Formerly known as: THE DUKE OF YORK and also THE DUKES HEAD 1818 - 1823 |
THE THREE TUNS
Tunn Street 1822 – 1828 CLOSED It would appear that the Three Tuns enjoyed only a very brief existence as a beer house or pub in the 1820s. The building survives today as residential apartments. In 1984 the building received the Graham Allan conservation award following a major restoration and conservation programme. The bronze plaque denoting this accolade can be seen above the ground floor entrance off Tunn Street.. |
THE VINE
Oak Street, 1836 – 1975 CLOSED The Vine was down the yard behind Cawdron's wine merchants in Oak Street. In the 1970s it was run by Bernie and Joan Dykes ....who may have been the last publicans of the bar? |
BLACK HORSE QUAKER STREET / TUNS STREET, Possibly premises known as the RAG & LOUSE, 1841 – 1871. CLOSED
The SWAN, SWAN STREET, pre 1868 – 1872, CLOSED
WENSUM LODGE HOTEL BRIDGE STREET A former grain store converted in a `Careful new development' and first found in the GOOD PUB GUIDE 1998
© 2011 Fakenham & District Community Archive.
Created in-house by Fakenham & District Community Archive
Created in-house by Fakenham & District Community Archive