Over the Centuries

Over the Centuries. . , Discover what was near by Over the Centuries, The Angel Hotel , The Angel Hotel dates from the 16th century and was originally a posting house for coaches between London, Ipswich and Norwich. The Angel has served many purposes to the community over the centuries being a location for auctions, public meetings, a place to meet friends or catch the stagecoach. On one occasion, in 1862, it even housed the body of the murdered policeman, Ebenezer Tye!, In about 1784, a bowls club was formed behind the hotel and continued to meet at this site until 1969, when it had to move up to Dairy Hill to make way for road developments. In the Hotel courtyard you can admire a Suggate clock, made by the clockmakers George Suggate (1720-1807) and his son, also George (1751-1844) who lived in Quay Street., Today The Angel serves as a Visitor Information Point for the town., A proliferation of pubs , Time to raise a glass? As well as making a name for itself in the brewing and malting industry from around 1750 to 1900, it's perhaps not surprising that Halesworth also became known for its many pubs, inns and ale houses. From a modest count of just six in 1620, by 1801 the town boasted 19 public houses and a beer hall: Altogether, 57 pub names have been identified over the years, though this can't be equated to 57 different pubs. It seems that pub names were changed according to the religious or political climate of the time, or as a mark of respect for an influential person The earliest record of a Halesworth pub is The White Lion in 1450 and you can still see the name on the building at the southern end of the Thoroughfare, although no longer a pub. Today, Halesworth's workers, residents and visitors have a choice of three of the old pubs, The White Swan, The White Hart and The Angel. Far fewer than the previous 57 varieties., Corn Hall , In 1841, the Corn Hall was built in the yard of The Angel Hotel and, like the hotel, it served the community in different ways over the decades. Accommodating up to 400 people it was used as an assembly room, a council meeting place and a court room, before becoming a place of lighter entertainment, hosting dances, concerts and exhibitions, including the bicycle exhibition you can see in the photo. From 1925 to 1964 it became a cinema-the Corn Hall Picture Palace- and was a favourite haunt for all ages including the servicemen from the Halesworth Air Base at Holton., Comfy coach? , A coach called The Shannon travelled to London each morning, picking up alternately at the The Angel Hotel and the Three Tuns, in the Market Place, at 5.30am. Another coach, The Eclipse, travelled similarly to Norwich. Two 18th century travellers tell of their rather uncomfy and potentially hazardous journeys., "...the coach swings sideways with a sickly sway, without any vertical springs....the severity of the jolting occasioned me such disorder that I was obliged to go to bed very ill.", "The getting up alone was at the risk of one's life, and when I was up I was obliged to sit just at the corner of the coach with nothing to hold but a sort of little handle fastened on the side and the moment we set off, I fancied I saw certain death await me."