104 Woodbridge Road
Two buildings of quite different style at 104 Woodbridge Road were for
many years conjoined to form this public house. 2013 image
In August 2013, while temporary road-works held up traffic, we
noticed that – due to the raking sunlight around noon – some ghost
lettering was visible. By the time that these photographs were taken in
September, the masonry paint had been partially applied, but the
slightly raised lettering was still readable:
'ALES
-
WINES
AND
SPIRITS'
This must be the characteristic
'(Tolly) Cobbold Ales, Wines & Spirits' seen elsewhere. This wall
once had a portrait-format rectangular sign screwed over the lettering
in this position.
2014 images
The raking sunlight of March 2014 shows the arc of 'ALES', a
decorative flourish before 'WINES', a decorative font for 'AND' and
plain caps for 'SPIRIT'. The cartouche is partially visible and it now
looks as if there are two sets of the same sign, an earlier
one slightly larger than the later. However, it is perhaps more likely
that the characters had a drop-shadow. 2015
images
The Ipswich Society's List of
buildings of local architectural or historic interest... (1985)
lists the original Horse & Groom, at the right, painted
yellowish-brown:
'17th C.
2 storey timber frame, rendered and painted.
Red plain conc. tile roof with change in pitch at tie beam. 1 chimney.
Facade altered 19th C. 2 window range, 3 light sashes. Timber pilasters
& fascia to pub entrance LHS. 20th C. extension to left hand side,
slate roof. 2 window range, sashes.'
The ever-dependable Suffolk CAMRA site (see Links)
tells us that records go back to 1830 for this pub. After several
closures and re-openings in recent years, the business closed in May
2012. By
2013, work was well underway in refurbishing the buildings as two
cottages once again.
For a 1902 map of the area round this public house see our Palmerston Road page; fittingly in the yard
behind the pub was a smithy, clearly marked.
This lettering bears comparison with the 'Cobbolds' vestigial lettering in St Nichlas
Street. See also the Pubs
& Off-licences page and the Cobbold House
& Brewery
pages. See our Vestiges
page for more traces of old trade
lettering.
2013 image
2014 images
2015
images 