android appBrantham Bull
opening hours
- Mon: closed
- Tue: 0930-1500
- Wed-Thu: 0930-1500, 1800-2300
- Fri-Sat: 0900-2300
- Sun: 1200-1700
food times
- Mon: closed
- Tue: 1200-1430
- Wed-Fri: 1200-1430, 1800-2100
- Sat: 1200-1415, 1800-2100
- Sun: 1200-1700
regular cask ales
- Adnams Southwold Bitter [H]
guest beers
This pub serves 3 guest ales.
listed building grade II
Local licensing authority for Brantham is Babergh
CAMRA Ipswich & East Suffolk branch.
last updated Nov 29th, 2023.
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Brantham Bull
North West, 51.96839,1.08872
Cask Ale is sold here.
Ipswich Rd, CO11 1PN
grid reference TM 122 344
bar / diner, opened 15th century
owner/operator: Heineken UK
A popular 15th century pub with a long established reputation for food.
The historic part of the building has wooden floors, an exposed timber frame and leaded windows. The garden incorporates a children's play area. Much of the pub is now used for dining during busy sessions. Themed food nights include popular steak nights. Quiz nights are held every second Tuesday of the month.
There are a number of rumours about the history of the pub. It's said that some of its beams are timbers from ships that were part of the Spanish Armada. It's also rumoured that there was a smugglers' tunnel from the cellar to the foreshore.
Breakfast: Tue-Fri 0930-1130
Facilities
Accessible to disabled customers
Beer garden or other outside drinking area
Beer served through handpumps
Bus stop nearby (see transport links for details)
Evening meals
Family friendly
Function room available to hire
Lunchtime meals (not just snacks)
Parking
Real fire
Restaurant or separate dining area
Railway station about 2.7 miles away (see transport links for details)
Gallery
Nearest railway station
Manningtree: 2.7 miles (4.3km)Other nearby Suffolk pubs
Gardeners Arms 1.08 miles
Ark 1.47 miles
Royal Oak 1.49 miles
Wheatsheaf 1.52 miles
Crown 1.55 miles
King's Head 1.62 milesHistorical interest
The pub is shown on this old OS map from about 1902 (interactive map)
Owner/operator: Pubmaster
C15th pub, serving a wide range of food. The garden incorporates a children's play area.
Beer: Ind Coope Friary Meux BB; guest beer (Pubmaster list).CAMRA's 1997 Suffolk Real Ale Guide
A Petty sessions for the Hundred of Stamford for the hiring and retaining of servants, will be held at Bull in Brantham on Mon 30 inst., by order of the chief constable, where all gentlemen and others meet with a hearty welcome by their humble servant, Joseph Clarke. Dinner at half past one o clock. Ipswich Journal, 21 Sep 1782
Recent landlords have included actor, Melvin Hayes (late 1990s).
Landlords
Footnote
Name may be a sympathetic reference to a Papal bull - a lead seal attached to official religious edicts or documents - or a reference to Henry VIII who introduced a bulls head into his coat-of-arms after he defied a papal bull in 1538. Bull baiting was also quite widespread until it was banned in 1835.
(Most pub, location & historic details collated by Nigel, Tony or Keith - original sources are credited)
