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Stonham Parva Magpie

Stonham Parva Magpie

also traded as Pie Inn

East, 52.20163,1.09973

Closed:
Closed when current management moved to the Crowfield Rose. Pub is now on the market.

opened Pre-1471

Norwich Road, IP14 5JY

grid reference TM 119 604

The pub is shown on this old OS map from about 1903 (interactive map)

old OS map

Now offering food and drinks from a refurbished bar, the Magpie also has a separate room for playing traditional pub games.

The pub has an unusual (Grade II Listed) sign which spans the road. The building dates from the 15th century, with 16th and 19th century additions and is also Grade II Listed.

Within living memory, a live magpie was confined within a cage on the pub's wall as a living pub-sign.

It was apparently flourishing in 1471 and then or some time afterwards was owned by the local parson, who let it to a tenant together with 14 acres of land for 20 shillings per annum. In due course the parish owned the property, but in 1931 it was bought by the present owners, Messrs Tollemache & Cobbold, the Ipswich brewers. The money paid was used to meet the cost of providing a piped water supply to the village.British Inn Signs and their Stories, Eric R Delderfield, 1965

According to Alfred Hedges' 1976 book "Inns an Inn Signs of Norfolk and Suffolk", this is one of only a dozen remaining pubs in the country with a sign spanning the road. So probably fewer today...

Map

map

Gallery

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Historical interest

Historical interest

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Landlords

Landlords

Footnote

The name may refer to an ancient meaning for the word magpie, "a half pint".

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

(1891 census 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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