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The History
In Medieval Norwich, the land hereabouts was owned by the Bishops of Norwich....

As the demand for the building of monasteries and churches increased, the land was dug to extract chalk to aid in the production of slaking lime. A nearby road is named "Chalk Hill" to commemorate this work.

In 1811, a consortium headed by alderman Jonathon Davey built a pub on this site. It was then named the Yarmouth Coach. It was on the road where three coaches plied their trade; a Royal Mail coach and two "Darts".

By about 1830, the pub had been renamed the "Coach and Horses". In 1884, an omnibus services was introduced along the same route as the coach route and quickly established its self as a quicker way to travel for short haul passengers. The opening of the railway nearby soon made the coaches obsolete.

It became necessary to build more houses on the surrounding land to accommodate the numerous people settling in Thorpe. In 1811 the population was only 67. In 1841, it was 1,156 and a few years later in 1901, it was 6,450. The first landlord of the pub was John Woods in 1813. Between 1850 and 1874, brothers David and James Cattermole took the lease. Both are buried with their wives at Rosary cemetery, a stones throw away from the pub.

beer pumps
bob cameron
Until 1961, the pub was owned by Young, Crawshley and Young’s of the Crown brewery on nearby Kings Street.

In 1993, David Blake reopened the pub and started the Chalk Hill Brewery (named after the chalk workings that took place in this area). The brewery produces five ales: Tap, CHB, Dreadnought, Old Tackle and Flintnappers Mild.
Bob Cameron and the team of industrial commandos will give a warm welcome to all that drink and eat at the Coach.