Pubs – Deopham History

There have been three pubs in Deopham, all of them now closed:-

Map of the Deopham Pubs

Blacksmith Arms

(Closed 1957)

The details for this table were collated by Phil Long from census returns and historical directories.

Edward LABBELL	1845
George STONE	1861 – 1875
Jeremiah GEORGE	1879 – 1888
Alfred EAGLING	1890
John READ	1891 – 1892
Mrs. Frances READ	1896
Arthur SEWELL	1900 – 1901
Frederick BARKER	1904
Alfred BARRETT	1912 – 1916
Henry Arthur RUDRUM	1925 – 1933
Harry Walter RUDRUM	1937 – 1939

Further information is available at https://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norfolkd/deopham/deopba.htm

Half Moon

(Closed 1961)

List of Publicans

The details for this table were collated by Phil Long from census returns and historical directories.

Edward BADCOCK	1836
William KNIGHTS	1841
John WINGFIELD	1845 – 1872
Timothy GROOM	1875
George CHENERY	1877 – 1879
Arthur SMITH	1881
John BATESON	1883 – 1892
Arthur GIBSON	1896 – 1916
George F. STURMAN	1922 – 1937
David Baily	1939

1843 Tithe Map

The 1843 tithe map and analysis shows that the Halfmoon public house was owned by William Baldock and occupied by William Knights. The land that made up this entity is listed as below; these plots are ringed in green on the following map.

1878 Auction

It would appear from the following advertisement from the Norwich Mercury of June 15^th 1878 that the Half Moon pub’s estate was still much the same as that at the time of the above tithe map, totalling 7 acres.

Further information is available at https://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norfolkd/deopham/deophm.htm

Victoria Inn

(Closed c.2009)

This list was initially compiled by Phil Long from census returns and directories. Further details have been added from NorfolkPubs.co.uk.

Richardson BAKER	1861 – 1864
John WARD	1865 – 1868
Mrs. Maria WARD	1869
William GATHERGOOD	1871 – 1903
Thomas TRIVETT	1903 – 1905
Herbert HASTINGS	1905
William LANE	1906 – 1908
Frederick BARKER	1909 – 1912
James SMITH	1916
Charles GREEN	1922
George J. MUNFORD	1925
Edwin W. DIGMAN	1929 – 1937
John HARRINGTON	to 1942
B. K. KING	1960 – 1962
B. F. STANIFORTH (or STANDIFORD)	1963 – 1966
RANDALL	1967
N. McKECHNIE	1968
Closed 7/74 – 8/75
John and Pauline WALKER	1975 – 1978
Nick and Margaret MITCHELL	1979 – 1983
Bob ROURKE	1986 – 1987
Bernard BLAND and Colin GEORGE	1987 – 1998
Jean and John HEESON-GREENE	1998

1903 Sale of the Victoria Inn

Thanks to Phil Long for forwarding the above poster.

Details of the three lots referred to above are listed in the following:-

The above is reproduced by permission of the Wymondham Archive.

The outcome of the auction was that Mr James Chiddick purchased Lot 1 (the “Inn or Beer-house”):-

The above is reproduced by permission of the Wymondham Archive.

… and Mr Arthur Wigby purchased Lots 2 & 3 (4 pieces of “Excellent Mixed Soil Accommodation Arable Land”) being plots 338 & 339 in Lot 1 and 344 & 345 in Lot 2.
Plot 344 later became The Willows and Belsfield Lodge. Plot 345 was assimilated by The Willows.

The above is reproduced by permission of the Wymondham Archive.

There are details of the livestock held by the Inn on the 1941 Farm Census.

Photos of the Victoria Inn

The Victoria Inn 1979 – just before Nick and Margaret Mitchell arrived.

Thanks to Margaret Mitchell for sight of this photo.

The Victoria Inn after the sign-writer had got to work:

Thanks to Margaret Mitchell for sight of this photo.

Victoria Inn matchbox:

Nick and Margaret Mitchell in the Victoria Inn, 1984:

Thanks to Margaret Mitchell for sight of this photo.

Worzel Gummage night at the Vic; Nick Mitchell on the right hand side. Taken around 1983.

Thanks to Margaret Mitchell for sight of this photo.

Children’s play equipment at the Victoria in the early 1980s. Nick and Margaret Mitchell were running a family friendly pub long before that became the norm.

Thanks to Margaret Mitchell for the use of this photo.

Extract from the Good Beer Guide 1994

The following three images of the Victoria Inn were taken in 2005:

Thanks to Phil Long for providing copies of the above photos.

Photo of The Victoria from the 2023 sales material:

Photo: Sefftons

Further information on the Vic is available at https://www.norfolkpubs.co.uk/norfolkd/deopham/deopvi.htm

The Victoria, October 2022
Photo – G Sankey

Date	Change
5/3/24	1878 auction of Half Moon
6/10/23	Note on The Willows on Plot 34
1/10/23	Vic Matchbox & 2023 photo
13/9/23	Halfmoon in 1843
4/8/23	Corrected Wrigby to Wigby on purchase of Victoria Inn land (thank you Phil Long)
1/8/23	1903 Victoria Inn sales particulars and outcome
8/9/22	Published