Prince of Denmark Public House
Prince of Denmark Public House
The first date when the premises could truly be called a public house at open to debate but the fact that Steward Patterson and Finch supplied beer to them in the years 1839 to 40 confirms they were trading as a public house by this date. The records are not really clear whether the buildings which are now the public house were at one time considered as part of Denmark Farm which had originally been Magdalen Farm with the Denmark family having the tenancy. The farm was told to Mary Anne Perowne in about 1850 who seemingly seems to have auctioned off the part that became the Prince of Denmark Public House in 1853 which included garden, playground as well as stables and yard.
Situated as it was almost on the boundary of various parishes the Prince of Denmark seems to have been registered in Sprowston, New Catton as well as Norwich being definitely in the latter from 1907 when the city's boundary took in a considerable portion of Sprowston becoming New Sprowston on maps. The sculpture on the end gable wall was created in the 1930s by a Moray Smith and remains as a talking point to this day. The list of licensees of such a long-standing premises is far too long to go into being 35 in number but has over the years been owned or leased by a number of companies these include Morgans, Allsopp & Co., Morgans (again), Bullards, Watney Mann, Courage, Spring Inns, Inntrepreneur, Enterprise Inns. The only recorded problems with the police were in 1916 when the then licensee, Thomas Rix was convicted of failing to close against soldiers. Being fined 10/- or 7 days detention. What his decision was is not recorded.
Prince of Denmark P.H. in the 1980s
