Clare Swan
opening hours
- Mon-Sat: 1100-2100
- Sun: 1100-2000
food times
- Mon-Fri: 1200-1430, 1800-2000
- Sat: 1200-2000
- Sun: 1200-1500
regular cask ales
- Greene King IPA [H]
guest beers
This pub serves 2 guest ales.
listed building grade II*
Local licensing authority for Clare is West Suffolk
CAMRA West Suffolk & Borders branch.
last updated Nov 29th, 2023.
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Clare Swan
formerly Le Swan, Quylters
East, 52.07771,0.58059
Cask Ale is sold here.
4 High St, CO10 8NY
grid reference TL 769 452
opened 1415
owner/operator: Admiral Taverns (formerly Hawthorn Leisure)
Historic inn with an old carved sign (possibly dating from 1415) which may be the oldest in England. Bar to right with inglenook fireplace is now a restaurant. Bar is to the left with beamed ceiling. Mix of seating: bar stools, wooden tables & chairs, comfy armchairs and a choir pew in the fireplace. Achieved Cask Marque status June 2017.
The carved pub sign is depicted on the town sign. The building itself may date back as far as 1361 when it was known as Quilters.
Facilities
Accommodation available
Beer garden or other outside drinking area
Bus stop nearby (see transport links for details)
Evening meals
Lunchtime meals (not just snacks)
Parking
Real fire
Separate bar
Traditional pub games available
Gallery
Nearest railway station
Sudbury: 9.1 miles (14.6km)Other nearby Suffolk pubs
Bell 0.08 mile
Clumsy Cock 0.18 mile
Globe 0.21 mileHistorical interest
The pub is shown on this old OS map from about 1902 (interactive map)
Owner/operator: Greene King
Very old inn whose imposing exterior includes a carved sign dating from c. 1415, believed to be the oldest in England. The public bar remains a friendly locals haunt featuring much WWII memorabilila, while a large inglenook fireplace is the central feature of the lounge.
Beers: Greene King IPA, Seasonal Ale, AbbotCAMRA's 1997 Suffolk Real Ale Guide
This building was probably built around 1600, an earlier will of 1498 said John Norfolk bequeathed to his son 'a house (sometimes misread as 'alehouse') now called Le Swan but of old called Quylters'. The house goes back still further for there is a reference to Quylters (described as 'a tenement') in a Court Roll of 1361…
Landlords
Thanks to Carl Benson of the Suffolk Latch Company for the historical photos.
(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)
(historical detail found in Clare Book II streets)
(** historic newspaper information from Stuart Ansell)
(*** historic newspaper information from Bob Mitchell)
(*** Last Orders is a free local newsletter - published by Suffolk CAMRA memers since 1978)
