Historically, these names referred to distinct types of establishments with specific legal and social functions before merging into the modern "pub" concept.
- Inns: The most upscale of the group, providing overnight accommodation, food, and stable facilities for travellers and their horses. They were often large, prestigious buildings located along major trade and travel routes.
- Taverns: Primarily served wine and food rather than ale. They were more common in cities and towns, often catering to merchants and the upper classes who preferred wine, which was an expensive import.
- Alehouses: The most common and local type, usually a private home where the householder brewed and sold ale to neighbours. They were basic, served the lower classes, and rarely offered lodging.
- Public Houses (Pubs): This term emerged in the late 17th century as a collective name to differentiate these licensed, open-to-all establishments from private residences. By the 19th century, "pub" became the standard shorthand for all of them.
- Beerhouses: Created by the 1830 Beerhouse Act, these were small, often single-room establishments that were only licensed to sell beer and cider (not wine or spirits). They were a government attempt to reduce gin consumption by making beer easier to sell.
- Bars: Historically, the "bar" was specifically the counter or physical barrier that separated the staff and alcohol from the customers. In the UK, a "bar" was traditionally just one room within a pub, rather than the name of the whole building.
- A specific era (e.g., Medieval or Victorian) you're interested in
- If you want to know about the origin of famous pub signs
- A particular city or region whose pub history you want to explore
- Bullards (Anchor Brewery)
- Steward & Patteson
- Morgans
- Youngs,Crawshay & Youngs
- The Boar’s Head: A 15th-century building badly damaged in the 1942 "Baedeker Raids" and eventually closed in 1974.
- The Duke's Palace Inn: Once part of a magnificent ducal palace that entertained King Charles II, it was demolished in the 1960s for a car park.
- Bullards Spirits: Today, the brand is primarily a handcrafted gin distillery based in Norwich. It operates out of the historic Crystal House on Cattle Market Street, which they have renamed the Anchor Distillery in honour of the original Bullards Anchor Brewery.
- Beer Production: While now focused on spirits, Bullards recently returned to its brewing roots by launching Coastal Lager in 2024, developed in collaboration with Norfolk's Malt Coast Brewery. Earlier in its revival (2015), Bullards cask beers were also produced at the Redwell Brewery in Bracondale.
- : This modern microbrewery and pub is located on a site that has a long history of different pub names (including The Festival House and Delaneys). It continues the tradition of on-site brewing in the city centre, similar to the small-scale "alehouses" of the past.
- Woodforde’s Brewery: While established in 1981, this brewery is named after Parson James Woodforde, an 18th-century clergyman famous for his diaries detailing his love for Norfolk food and ale. It is now one of the most prominent regional breweries, keeping a historic Norfolk identity alive.
- Lacons (Great Yarmouth): Although originally a Great Yarmouth brewery, Lacons was a major competitor in Norwich. Its name and the iconic "falcon" branding were revived in 2013, and its beers are now common sights in historic Norwich pubs again.
- Steward & Patteson: The old brewery offices on Barrack Street have been renovated and restored.
- Morgans: The site of Morgans' Old Brewery on King Street was used for brewing by Watney Mann until 1985 before being demolished for housing.
- A list of pubs that still display original signage from Bullards or Steward & Patteson?
- Information on distillery tours and tastings at the modern ?
- Details on the Norwich City of Ale festival, which celebrates this brewing heritage?
- (St Stephens Rd): Features the St Stephen's Gate panel.
- (Ber Street): Features the Berstrete Gates panel.
- (Sprowston Rd): Features a vivid portrait panel of the pub’s namesake.
- The Fat Cat Brewery Tap: Displays a significant collection of hand-painted and vintage signs recovered from across Norfolk and Norwich.
- : Houses the "Norwich Panorama" by Moray-Smith in its Wine Press restaurant, a historical artwork linked to the city's brewing past.
The Wherry you’re asking about is the Norfolk Wherry, a once‑prominent multi‑level pub on Castle Meadow / Castle Street, Norwich, with a surprisingly layered and well‑documented history. The key points below trace its evolution, earlier identities, architectural quirks, and eventual disappearance.
🏛️ Origins and Earlier Identities (19th–mid‑20th century)
Before it ever became The Wherry, the building had a long life as a wine vaults establishment:
Edward’s Wine Vaults (1883)
Quick’s Wine Vaults (1914)
These names reflect the area’s strong tradition of wine merchants and small taverns clustered around Castle Meadow and the old market routes.
A key turning point came in 1964, when the licence was formally transferred from Quick’s Wine Vaults to a newly branded pub:
Licence transferred: 28 April 1964 → establishment renamed The Norfolk Wherry
🍺 The Norfolk Wherry Era (1964–1985)
Once rebranded, The Norfolk Wherry became a distinctive multi‑level venue:
Two main bars:
Barleycorn Dive — downstairs on Castle Street
Albion Bar — street level on Castle Meadow
Restaurant upstairs, making it a three‑level operation
A scale model of the wherry Albion was displayed for many years, linking the pub to the region’s maritime heritage
The pub closed temporarily around 1971, was offered for sale, then reopened by 1977 under Whitbread / Ind Coope.
Its final closure as The Norfolk Wherry came on 5 September 1985.
🎭 Post‑Wherry Successor Venues (1987–late 1990s)
The building didn’t stay quiet for long. It cycled through several nightlife identities:
Chaplins — reopened 2 September 1987
Muswells — 1989 (Ind Coope)
Jumpin’ Jaks — 1995
Closed c.1998
Each iteration reflected Norwich’s shifting late‑20th‑century bar and club scene, especially around the Castle Meadow corridor.
🏗️ Demolition and Redevelopment (1999–2000)
By the end of the 1990s, the building was demolished and the site redeveloped as a bookshop (1999–2000). This marked the end of more than a century of hospitality use on that footprint.
🧭 Why it mattered
The Wherry’s story captures several broader Norwich themes:
The shift from Victorian wine vaults to modern pubs
The 1960s–80s era of multi‑room, multi‑level drinking venues
The late‑century churn of branded nightlife
The redevelopment wave around Castle Meadow at the turn of the millennium
It’s a micro‑history of how Norwich’s commercial and social spaces evolved.
If you want, I can map this onto a timeline, reconstruct the exact footprint on historic OS maps, or compare it to other lost Norwich pubs like the Keel & Wherry or the White Lion.
The Fat Cat Brewery Tap has one of the more layered and characterful pub histories in Norwich — a classic case of a 1970s suburban boozer transformed into a modern real‑ale landmark. The key story is how a fairly ordinary estate pub became the beating heart of the Fat Cat brewing empire.
Origins: The Wherry (1974–2004)
The building at 98–100 Lawson Road began life as The Wherry, a typical 1970s pub serving the St Clement area. It operated for three decades until autumn 2004, when it closed after a long run as a straightforward local.
The Colin Keatley era begins (2004–2011)
In 2004, Fat Cat owner Colin Keatley purchased the building with a very specific ambition: to create a brewery on-site.
The pub went through two transitional identities:
The Shed — the first rebrand after Keatley’s purchase.
The Cider Shed (2005–2011) — a more distinctive phase, remembered locally for its cider focus.
During this period, Keatley was laying the groundwork for something bigger: a dedicated brewery attached to the Fat Cat name.
Birth of the Fat Cat Brewery (2005)
Brewing began on-site in August 2005, initially within the old Shed/Cider Shed setup. This marked the formal creation of the Fat Cat Brewery, producing beers such as Norwich Bitter, Tom Cat IPA, and Wild Cat.
The brewery’s presence would eventually reshape the identity of the entire site.
Rebirth as the Fat Cat Brewery Tap (2011–present)
In February 2011, the pub reopened under its now‑famous name: The Fat Cat Brewery Tap — the official taproom for the Fat Cat Brewery.
This was more than a rebrand. It was a full integration of:
A working brewery
A showcase venue for Fat Cat beers
A companion to the original Fat Cat on West End Street
The Tap quickly earned recognition, including CAMRA City Pub of the Year (2016).
Why it matters in Norwich’s pub landscape
The Brewery Tap represents a rare example of a modern brewpub built on the bones of a 1970s estate pub — a transformation that mirrors Norwich’s broader real‑ale revival. It also anchors the Fat Cat “mini‑empire” that grew from Keatley’s first Fat Cat pub in 1991.
Timeline summary
1974–2004 — The Wherry
2004 — Purchased by Colin Keatley
2004–2005 — The Shed
2005–2011 — The Cider Shed; brewing begins in 2005
2011–present — Fat Cat Brewery Tap; becomes the brewery’s flagship venue
If you want, I can also map out the building’s earlier land use, compare it to the original Fat Cat’s history, or trace how the brewery’s beer range evolved over time.
The Wherry opened in 1974 as a Whitbread house, with Adnams also listed as a supplying brewery at the time.
Who actually opened it in brewery terms
The licensing record for its launch year (11 June 1974) lists the pub under:
Whitbread — the owning/brewing group
Adnams — also named alongside Whitbread, indicating supply or tied‑house arrangements common in the 1970s
This pairing appears on the Norfolk Public Houses record for the Wherry’s opening.
Why two breweries are listed
In the early 1970s, Whitbread was aggressively consolidating pubs across the UK, often absorbing or partnering with regional breweries. Adnams, meanwhile, maintained supply agreements in East Anglia. It was therefore common for a newly built estate pub to carry both names: Whitbread as the controlling brewery group, Adnams as a beer supplier.
Context: the Wherry’s place in 1970s Norwich pub-building
Built 1973–74 on the site of the former Beaconsfield Arms
Opened as a full‑licence Whitbread house
Typical of the period’s suburban expansion: large footprint, games teams, multi-room layout
This makes the later Fat Cat Brewery Tap transformation even more striking — a 1970s tied‑house becoming a modern independent brewpub.
If you want, I can map the Beaconsfield Arms’ history before 1973, or trace how Whitbread’s estate strategy shaped other Norwich pubs of the era.
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