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SUFFOLK - Laxfield, Kings Head National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Part One Goram’s Mill Lane, Laxfield, IP13 8DW Tel: 01986 798395 Email: lowhouse@keme.co.uk Web site: www.laxfieldkingshead.co.uk Opening Hours: 12 to 3; 6 to close; Sun 12 to 7; In summer 11 to close Draught Beer & Cider: Adnams Bitter, Broadside, Explorer, seasonal beers and one or two guest beers from local micro breweries Pub Food: Meals 12 to 2 (2.30 Sun); 6.30 to 9.30 (not Sun). In summer 12 to 4.30 Sun. Listed Status: Grade II View this pub on a local map
A superlative, unspoilt country pub including one of the most remarkable public bars anywhere. This is one of only 11 pubs left in the whole of the UK without a bar counter including the other Britain's Real Heritage Pubs the Cock, Broom, Bedfordshire; Kings Head, Bootle, Cumbria; Millbank Arms, Barningham, Co. Durham; Red Lion, Ampney St Peter, Gloucestershire; North Star, Steventon, Oxfordshire; Tuckers Grace, Faulkland, Somerset; Rose & Crown, Huish Episcope, Somerset; Coopers Tavern, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire; Manor Arms, Rushall, West Midlands; and Red Lion, Llandovery, West Wales.
The origins of the building lie in the C16 and it was extended on the left in the C18. It is timber-framed and plastered, with the plaster lined to imitate stonework. Its unspoilt nature is as a result of being run by the Felgate family from 1882 until 1979. Adnams owned the pub from 1904, when they purchased Fisher's Brewery estate, until they sold it in 1972 (it had closed in 1969). It closed again in 1991 and then Tony Harvey of Tannington Hall and 8 other local people formed a consortium to buy the pub and they sold it back to Adnams in 2001. The current tenants are Bob & Linda Wilson - Linda's great grandfather was a Felgate so the pub has returned to being run by the family.
The front doorway leads into the settle room, quite a large room with a red and black quarry tiled floor, originally it was the parlour of the house. Nothing has changed in 150 years with the room dominated by high Victorian settles on three sides and focused on the log fire with a mantleshelf almost reaching the ceiling; note the trivett for placing a joint of meat on for roasting over the hearth and on either side cupboards for keeping things warm and dry. There is a scrubbed top table but no food is served here. The backs of the settles with iron stays attached to the ceiling in fact define a corridor which runs right round the room and has an old basic bench. There really is nothing quite like this room anywhere else and is undoubtedly the core of the public house.
There are only a handful of similar rooms or snugs formed of two or more high backed settles left in the whole of the UK. They can be found at the following Britain's Real Heritage Pubs – the Holly Bush, Mackeney, Derbyshire; Malt Shovel, Spondon, Derbyshire; Five Mile House, Duntisbourne Abbots, Gloucestershire; Green Dragon, Flaunden, Hertfordshire; Red Lion, Kenninghall, Norfolk; North Star, Steventon, Oxfordshire; Bell & Cross, Holy Cross, Worcestershire; Old White Beare, Norwood Green, West Yorkshire; and Red Lion, Llansannan, North West Wales.
On the right a latch door leads to the Card Room, a room of considerable age in the 16th century part of the building and would have been the kitchen of the house. It has a black and red quarry tiled floor, fixed seats round the old tongue and grooved panelled walls, an old wood surround fireplace (disused) and just two scrubbed tables. On the long table in the Card Room you will see markings that relate to a far eastern game called 'Go'.
Behind this is the Tap Room, possibly brought into use at a later date, which consists of a three-sided pew seating around a large scrubbed table, red and black quarry tiled floor and plain panelling; opposite this a large multi-drawed old cupboard.
Behind this in turn, is the servery which is in fact the concrete screeded floor cellar with casks of beer on stillage and no counter, but it is here that you come to place your order and the beer is served direct from casks on stillage. Local cider also sold. Bar counters only came into existence in early Victorian times hence why there is not one here. In the cellar are a couple of old Adnams enamel signs advertising their bottle beers and Tally Ho. Here is one of few modern items in the pub - a fridge for bottles.
In the left hand part of the building, which is only 250 years old, is the dining room, formerly a living room. It was brought into use in 1992 to meet expanded trade. It is accessed at the end of the passage around the back of the settles and across a small lobby with uneven brick floor and low doorway with a small step. This room has modern settle and pew seating but a genuine early 20th century tiled and cast fireplace. As befits a pub as unspoilt as this the toilets are outside. Note the old bell in the rear left of the room/at the end of the passage leading to the dining room - it is still wired up and was used for table service but is no longer so ringing the bell is more of an irritation nowadays.
The former bowling green behind the pub is now an attractive beer garden. Daughter Kate can arrange horse drawn carriage rides in and around the village (ring 07876 388131 to arrange). When the consortium owned the pub any tenant who wished to run the it had to agree that there would be no fruit machines, no piped music, no pool table, no cigarette machine, no fried food and no modern bar - these rules are still being complied with today!
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