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Ipswich Coach & Horses

Ipswich Coach & Horses

West, 52.05644,1.15638

Closed: after 1977

opened 1729 or earlier

41 Upper Brook St

grid reference TM 164 444

The hotel is shown on this OS town plan from about 1880 (larger map).

old OS map

An inn since about 1729.

The Coach & Horses was listed by 1855 as a posting house and in 1874 as a "Commercial and Family Hotel and posting house". It was a staging post for the "Old Blue", a coach which ran from Gracechurch Street in London and onwards to Saxmundham and Beccles. The booking office and stables were to rear.

Now shops, the building dates from the 17th or 18th century. It was originally built as a merchant's house. Evidently it was a cyclist-friendly hotel; a prominent Cyclists' Touring Club plaque can still be seen on the wall.

In its latter years it had a reputation as a very rough pub, with fights occurring on a regular basis. It's listed in the most up-to-date available Ipswich licensing records as open until at least 1977.

Map

map

Gallery

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Historical interest

Historical interest

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Landlords

Landlords

Footnote

Coach & horses became a means of transport for many travellers during the 17th and 18th cent. especially for those who could not afford their own vehicle. As regular services evolved, they soon encouraged many inns enroute to become natural stopping points for refreshments - with journeys broken into stages (about 8 miles) - and many eventually provided stabling to enable regular changes of horses. Their demise started in 1840s with the building of the railway network.

(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)

(information from Dudley Diaper)

(** historic newspaper information from Stuart Ansell)

(*** historic newspaper information from Bob Mitchell)

Old OS map reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.

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