How five Norwich pubs have changed since the 1930s

1. The Woolpack Inn, Golden Ball Street

The Woolpack Inn in March 1939 (Photo: George Plunkett) (Image: George Plunkett)

The Woolpack in March 2024 (Image: Contributed)

Now a Greene King pub, the licence associated with this public house can be traced back as far as the late 18th century when it was known as The Woolpacket.

The building as we know it now, with its symmetrical Neo Georgian façade, was built in 1938. 

Five plaster reliefs by Norwich-based artist John Moray-Smith sit behind the bar depicting various aspects of the medieval wool trade.

They were commissioned by Morgans Brewery in the 1940s and depict sheep farming, sheep shearing, a sheep market, wool dyeing and packing and the export of wool.

There was also a sixth panel showing the arrival of the Flemish weavers but this was apparently sold at auction in 2001.

In 2012, pub staff and members of the community came together to save the panels from developers who wanted to remove them. 

2. Five Ways, Gipsy Lane

The Five Ways Public House in May 1939 (Image: George Plunkett)

The Five Ways in October 2023 (Image: Google Maps)

Situated in Gipsy Lane on the Earlham Fiveways roundabout, the first licence associated with the pub was given to Charles Ernest Cogman in March 1928 following a transfer of licenses from The Mancroft Stores and The Curriers Arms. 

Situated just up the road from the University of East Anglia, a "drink the pub dry" event was held there in 1969 for Rag Week. 

Ending in failure, the 150 students that took part only managed to get through 600 pints of beer, leaving 240 pints remaining in the cellar.

3. Temple Bar, Unthank Road 

Tuns Inn in August 1937 (Image: George Plunkett)

The Temple Bar in March 2024 (Image: Contributed)

Known as The Tuns until 1999, the pub was taken over by current owner Adrian Joyce and turned into an Irish-themed pub called Temple Bar. 

The pub celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019 and has developed a reputation for its Sunday roasts. 

The first record of a licensee at The Tuns was in 1831.  Tun is an Old English word meaning a barrel of beer or wine. 

The building was reportedly damaged by "enemy action" in April 1942 but managed to survive both the war and the building of the inner city ring road behind it, unlike many of its neighbours which were demolished. 

The ghost of one of the previous landlords, Martin Stally, is thought to haunt the upstairs house after he died there in 1881.

4. Drawing Rooms, Pottergate

The Morning Star Public House in June 1938 (Image: George Plunkett)

The Drawing Rooms in October 2022 (Image: Denise Bradley)

First known as the Morning Mail and the Morning Star as early as 1859, the pub was rebuilt in 1937. 

A pub of many names, it then became The Brown Derby in 1975, The Pottergate Tavern in 1988 and the Birdcage in 2006.

It reopened as The Drawing Rooms in October 2022 and while technically no longer a pub, it is still a popular watering hole, described by owners as an Art Deco-inspired cocktail bar.

In the City Of Norwich Plan 1945 the building was criticised for being "incongruous in design and out of place in an ancient street".

5. The Artichoke, Magdalen Road

The Artichoke in May 1932 (Image: George Plunkett)

The Artichoke pub in October 2023 (Image: Google Maps)

The Artichoke, a flint building built in 1932 and decorated in a Brewers Tudor style, reportedly got its name from the appearance of its cone-shaped roof.

The previous 15th-century building that stood on the site was thought to have been a leper house, an almshouse and a workhouse before becoming a pub in 1760.

Bought and refurbished by the Golden Triangle Brewery in 2018, the bar currently features eight handpumps and sells a range of real ales and craft beers, as well as serving food.