HALL QUAY
The New Perlustration of Great Yarmouth
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In
1994, Hall Quay starts at its north-west corner with "B. and B.
Insurance". These offices are however empty and for sale, having
previously offered Motor, Life, Fire, and Marine Insurance. They were
subsequently purchased by Mr Sinclair for his Estate Agency. (In use as such in
2000)
In
1938 at no. 1 Hall Quay (where today is Havenbridge House Harry Hyam, built by
), was the building that became Steward and Patteson's off licence and wine
stores. Formerly this was the private residence of Mrs. Munday. Taken
before the turn of the century there
are some splendid photographs of her and this beautifully sited residence, one
that compares well with that fine site just west of the north-west tower during
the same period.
Mrs Munday at her front door, about 1890. This became
Steward and Patteson’s as seen below.
About 1950. Summer business was brisk then.
Next
to the empty offices mentioned above is the fine Georgian house that once
belonged to Sir Edmund Lacon. This became the Hall Quay Cub, then Falstaff’s Restaurant;
now Quay Leisure.
With
regard to the Hall Quay Club, the west end of the building is but two stories
high, having a Georgian doorway. The main part of the house looks to all
intents as though it has three stories, with three tiers of windows. In fact
the upper windows that appear to represent a second floor merely reflect the
great height of the first floor rooms, and the third storey does not exist. For
many years there has been a club at these premises. When the Conservative Club
were here, Ernest Bullent was steward, and resided on the premises with his
wife Ethel.
Ernest
Bullent, born 9/4/1900, started work here in 1914, whereas Ethel, his wife, did
not start at the club until 1936. She describes the club as having the centre
upstairs room as a billiard room. Here a man named Mason was employed as a
billiard marker for 50 years. He wore a bowler hat at work. There was a boy
allocated to each room, with the bells ringing downstairs from each. They wore
black trousers and shoes, and black jackets with a fine stripe pattern,
together with white shirts. After 11 am., they were dressed in steward's
pointed jackets. There was a man who frequented the club in a straw hat and
never took it off. The daily newspapers were available, but could not be removed
from the reading room. Bridge was generally played in the small card room on
the west end of the first floor, although cards were also played in the
"Big card room" with the bow window.
Latterly
of course this room has been used as a restaurant. Large supper parties were
catered for at times, and on the occasion of the club's 50th. jubilee, there
were six courses for 70 people, including 18 pheasants. Under the house are 2
large cellars, and a separate cellar in the back yard for coal. If there was
the combination of wet weather and a high tide, then the cellars could flood
with 2 feet of water, although now there is an electric pump. The two main
cellars run parallel and the length of the house. The ceilings in the cellars
are of brick and arched, a little low,
permitting standing in the centre. In the pantry was a wooden sink for washing
glasses. The floor was flagstone. During the war the Bullent's children, Gwen
and Geoffrey were evacuated, and Ethel managed the club herself. One well-known
chairman of the club was John Clymer, who was renowned as a gourmet and a first
class golfer at County and National level. He made some changes in the club,
including painting over the wooden wall side stair rails. John Clymer died in
October 2000 at the age of 81. He had served on the Lothingland Council before
joining the Gt. Yarmouth Borough Council in 1974. He was Mayor in 1979-80, and
Conservative leader. He was a director of the building firm E. Moore and Son.
He was president of the local St John’s Ambulance, and a member of the port
authority, and President of the Gorleston and Yarmouth Lifeboat. He was married to Jean who died earlier, and
left three children and eleven grandchildren.
The downstairs lounge of the Hall Quay Club was refurbished by courtesy of Tom Maltby the millionaire, and subsequently known as "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Maltby’s picture hangs above the fireplace shown here.
Although
at the time of writing this note (23/1/94), the Hall Quay Club was still here,
the Falstaff's restaurant had closed down due to poor trading, and the club,
suffering a loss of rent, decided to sell the premises and to cease its
functions. It has been for many years frequented by some of the prominent men
of the town, and its recent Chairmen were-
1980 D. A. Bullock
1981 M. G. Clarke
1982 W. P. Molineux
1983 N. J. Holroyd
1984 Ronald Toone
1985 M. Mussino
1986 J. Cheeseman
1987 A. G. Tayler
1988 R. W. Fackman
1989 J. R. Hannant
1990-
91 R. N. Jones
The eastern
rooms of the house have a most splendid bow front, with three fine Georgian
sash windows facing down the quay. The view from the first floor here is the
most excellent in Yarmouth. (pictured above from inside)
On
this site was the town house of Sir John Fastolf, K.G. Born at Caister in 1378,
Sir John was descended of Alexander Fastolf, one of the Bailiffs in the time of
Edward I. Mainly remembered as a military commander in the 15th. Century wars
in France (Agincourt, Crecy), he built a castle at Caister, and a chapel at the
Abbey of St.Benet at Hulme. He is said to have been a violent and vitriolic
man, and the model of Shakespeare's Falstaff. He died at the age of 79, his
will being dated 14th. June 1459. His will was disputed on the basis of his
poor mental health. He was thought
incapable on 3rd. November. The money from his will had been given to endow a
college at Caister, and instead it went to an establishment attached to
Magdalen College Oxford. He was a benefactor of Magdalen during his lifetime.
This was the beginning of Yarmouth's long connection with Oxford it appears.
There were also bequests for repair of the harbour and town walls.*3
Number
6 Hall Quay is part of Malcolm Ferrow's antique shop. Built at first as bank premises for Edmund Lacon, there is a
speaking tube from the first floor of the residence next door to the banking
hall as it was, on the ground floor of no. 6. Once the dining Rooms as
depicted, the shop was purchased by Malcolm Ferrow for an antique shop about
1957. Prior to 1932 it was the Gt.Yarmouth shipping offices, and auctioned at
the corn hall on 7th. June 1932, after which it became the premises of Radio
Relays. There is an entrance from the outside into a basement cellar.
The
antiques shop joins into no. 1 George Street, and here are sold works of art,
mainly pictures of local interest, china, glassware, and antique furniture.
Across
Stonecutter's Way, there are ladies and Gentlemen's Public Conveniences, with
the old slipper baths closed and boarded up, behind, in Stonecutter's way. The
slipper baths offered public hot baths such are rarely seen nowadays, although
there remain a number of houses in the town without bathrooms of their own.
(to
the right of C.Clarke’s – now demolished for Stonecutters Way)
photo by PG Trett
At
no. 11 Hall Quay are- Trett Contract Services Ltd., and O.M.S. Management
services Ltd. This building has a Georgian style front, with quoins and stone
pillars to the front,- built at first for the Borough Council as offices.
Manpower
Diving Services are at no. 12a and 12b. The latter also houses Attwood
Oceanics, Worldwide Offshore Drilling Contractors. A modern building on three
stories, with very plain casement windows. This is the site of the “Greasy
Spoon, or “Henry’s Café, a house of ill repute. In the cellar here when it was
demolished were found signs of an ancient quay heaing, and also the mysterious
burned layer that is right across the town and dates to the time of the Viking
invasion.
The
Duke's Head Public House, an ancient Inn, from where the horse drawn coaches
ran. It still boasts a fine cut-flint front, and cellars beneath, entered from
the street. It had an exceedingly fine and outstanding roof.
The amazing Hammer beam roof, now regrettably removed, though parts
are on display outside
As at February 1994, it was leased from the
brewery by John McLennan; and Colin Grapes, the restaurateur, formerly of
"The Barn" at Belton, and the "Grapevine", Priory Road,
Gorleston, is to establish the restaurant. The grapevine was a “Mecca” for
cricket fans.
I
visited the "Dukes Head on Monday 11th. July 1994, and was shown around
the ancient Inn. The main bar had been refurbished 14 years ago, when the bar
itself was handsomely constructed of the finest Japanese light oak. In contrast
there are dark oak original shutters, and a plethora of false beams made of
fibreglass! Colin intends to have the latter all removed. It was noted in the
passageway running under the building that iron runners still remain for the
horse-drawn carriages that left from the inn yard for London. Outside the back-door high on the wall, a plaque bears
the date 1903, which appears to date the addition of the back wing of the
building. Notable in the north-west first floor room is the dark oak 15th.
century panelling. The bedrooms are all being refurbished, but my main object
was to examine the roof. Although I did this, I was greatly disappointed, since
the entire original hammer beam roof has been replaced, and there is not a
single ancient timber remaining. There is some original timber outside,
displayed on a wall, but this hardly makes up for the loss of the finest of
Yarmouth's ancient roofs. Fortunately there is a photograph of the roof before
its destruction, which in due course may allow a computer reconstruction in
virtual reality.
The right hand building is Dawson Turner’s, with the Royal Bank of
Scotland to its left.
The
Royal Bank of Scotland, (the white building with high arched windows) has a most
Imposing front at no. 14, next to Turner's Bank Row, after which is encountered
the stone edifice of Barclay's Bank. Stone on the ground floor front becomes
red brick above, with stone window pediments, headers and sills. Stone quoins
finish the corners of this imposing building, once the residence of one of
Yarmouth's most famous sons- the eminent banker, Dawson Turner. The building
appears to be externally unchanged this century.
Dawson Turner wrote on botanical and antiquarian subjects, and collected antiquarian objects, including 40,000 letters, 4000 original drawings by members of his and Cotman's families. Grandson of the Rev. Francis Turner, who was master of the Hospital School and minister at St.George's, he added hugely to Blomefield's History of Norfolk. After his death his library was sold in 725 lots. The bank had been started by his father James at what had been the "Three Cranes" public house on the Quay between rows 106 and 108. The business had been removed to Hall Quay, and the upper floors were occupied as residential quarters. The front door opened into a lobby, to the right of which was the bank counter, and to the left a room that contained guns hung above the mantlepiece.*4 Dawson Turner's own volume of Cotman's "Sepulchral Brasses", contains notes in his own handwriting, correspondence, and portraits of himself and of Cotman. Turner gave bank clerk's appointments to such as Lilly Wigg the botanist, and Edmund Girling, the artist. He also had a very fine art collection. I think it not known previously, but Dawson Turner was in partnership for a time at least, with Samuel Paget. This is evident from the deeds of the "Carpenter's Arms", no. 72 Howard Street (the Great Eastern / Oakwood). The partnership was known as "Messrs. Paget and Turner, Beer Brewers". This is noted on the deed of 1817. They had a warehouse behind the Carpenters arms that had been formerly a fish-house. In 1831, Dawson Turner bought out Samuel Paget's share. (see Howard Street South, also Row 57) Documents of Dawson Turner's including the Blomefield's Norfolk, illustrated by his daughters, are in the British Museum.
Next
comes Row 55, after which is "Britannia House", with a newsagents, tobacconist and confectionary
shop, also Charles Stenner Associates, Accountancy, taxation and computer
services. Here previously stood Clowes' famous grocery
store, with its heavy ornate Victorian gable. Here
were sold ends of bacon every morning to the poor*5.
Aldred's
Estate Agent's is housed in what was formerly more of a typical Yarmouth
building, with pantiled roof, but it has been modernised to the nondescript
architecturally vacuous edifice presented now, that apparently and
astonishingly won an award at one time for it's design. Rather like some
inappropriate work around St.Paul's in London it must now be considered a
disaster, almost on a par with the cleaner's shop in Regent Street.
Next
south stands the "Star and Garter" public house, and Row 57. (Sarah
Martin's) The Star and Garter is on the site of Samuel Artis' house that is
depicted on Corbridge's map. Sam Artis died in 1748, having been a prominent
merchant and post master. The house was re-built by Thomas Cotton, merchant,
the front re-built by John Brightwen, encased in white brick in 1854. After occupation
by Lady Orde it was demolished between 1874 and 1878, and the current house
erected.*6
Lloyd's
Bank is at 19 Hall Quay, once the property of Sir Edmund H.K.Lacon, Bart. (Edmund
Henry Knowles Lacon),
son of Sir Edmund Knowles Lacon,
who was born in 1807, and died in 1888. In
1791, he formed his bank with James Fisher (of 55 North Quay. This was the "Yarmouth, Norfolk and Suffolk
Bank". The first partners were
John Lacon, Edmund Lacon, and
James and William Fisher. Somewhat later
some members of
the Youell family were partners, and finally Sir Kenneth Kemp of Mergate Hall,
Norwich, joined the partnership, and
its title then became Lacons Youell and Kemp.
The name "Yarmouth Norfolk and Suffolk Bank" always appeared on the bank notes. At first branches were opened in
Norfolk and Suffolk,
and in 1821, its head
office was transferred here to
19 Hall Quay, in an Elizabethan house which was then refaced with white
brick. Now it is stone faced on the ground floor. In 1901 Lacons Youell and
Kemp was taken over by Capital and
Counties Bank, which
amalgamated with Lloyds
in 1918. The two
mantlepieces dated 1598, were
installed by Ralph Woolhouse, for several
years Bailiff of Great Yarmouth.
Row
59 is south of Lloyd's Bank, at the side of which are found the Midland Bank
premises, formerly the Yare Hotel. A space exists to the south side of this
building, providing access to the bank's private car park. The Row no. 61 is
next to the sumptuous architecture that is now occupied by the National Westminster Bank. Here there is a
very fine marble doorway, with the rest of the front in very detailed and attractive
coloured granite. There is a stone banister and lavish ornamentation on the
upper storey, whereas the side of this building is of plain 
brick.
The
Star Hotel was previously called the "Cromwell" Hotel. Cut flint
faces the front, with Tudor style timbering. This an hotel of the "Queen's
Moat House" group, of national hotels that last year (1993) had to be
written down in value by many millions of pounds. Julian Wooldridge and Gerald
James Bell are the current licensees.
The
Star Hotel overhangs Row 62, Ben
Dowson’s Row.
There
is a large doorway to the side of British Telecommunications, the old telephone
exchange. This building is of brick with a stone front on the ground floor.
Built in 1936, it is of three stories, but with five dormer windows in addition
on an attic floor, cut into the roof.
There is a winged head in stone over there doorway here. (nos. 25-26)
The
post office, of small red bricks, has red sand stone detailing around the
windows and door. George V is celebrated as the monarch at the time of its
construction, with his name over the door on the corner of Regent Street.
Reported June 18th. 1881, found in the old post office premises, was a human
skeleton, and that of a small monkey. Two clerks had gone exploring in the roof.
It was pitch dark, so they took some tiles from the roof to let in some light,
and so saw an iron bedstead, enclosed at the sides head and foot by wood, and
upon it the skeletons, which fell to dust when touched. The Government had then
acquired the premises between the Star hotel and Mr. Barnaby's establishment
for a post office.
The house had many years before been the property of Dr. Cox.*7 Who the
skeleton once was, and how the bones got there. remains a complete mystery.
*1
writing by C.J.Palmer
*2
writing by H.B.Johnson
*3
East Anglian Magazine April 1950. (Rumbelow, diary vol. 24.)
*4
The Rise of Great Yarmouth- Ecclestone.
*5
as described by Florence Waters and others, see row 137.
*6
Rows of Gt.Yarmouth by M.Teun, pt.2.
*7
Rumbelow's Diary, vol. 20, p.42.