Duke of Norfolk Public House

Duke of Norfolk Public House

The Duke of Norfolk was built in 1938 by Steward and Patersons to design by W Copeman. No doubt the brewers idea was to cater for the increasing residential population of Sprowston and there was the added attraction that Mousehold Lane had become part of the Norwich ring road. It seems strange that even in those days they were worried about the amount of traffic within the city and many parts of the ring road were nothing more than country lanes.

No doubt delayed by the start of World War II the public house did not open until January 1940. It followed the normal practice of the time, transferring the licence from another premises. Not only did the licence of the Duke of Norfolk in Southwell Road, Norwich transfer across but also the name and the licensee James Crockford.

As with other Steward and Paterson premises they were taken over by Watney Mann. The Duke of Norfolk did not however stay with this brewers being part of a transfer agreement with Courage who transferred some of their public houses to Watney Mann. It remained as the Courage pub until taken over by a private company Spring Inns until closure in 2010 when the premises were turned into an Indian restaurant.

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  The Duke of Norfolk in the late 1950s , early 60s prior to the ring road being widened.
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  Looking down Mousehold Lane in the mid 1950’s