Cupola House, Bury St Edmunds

Built in 1693 by Thomas Macro, & for many years used as an apothecary, this Grade 1 listed building was used as a wine merchants house in mid-19th cent & then as a pub. It was reportedly known as the Victoria Tap in the 1890s. It had undergone various changes in recent years both to the dormer windows & the addition of tiles on the upper part of the building. From mid-1990s onwards it was increasingly used just as a restaurant. Sadly it was severely damaged by fire in June 2012. The horse-drawn cart (in one of pictures) is a delivery from the Greene King brewery. The pub is often linked to the author Daniel Defoe who visited the town in 1704 after serving time in prison for the publication of his ironical pamphlet "Shortest Way with the Dissenters" in 1702, which was judged to be critical of the Anglican Church; however some claim that no documentary evidence can substantiate this association, despite the blue plaque on the wall?