Rose & Crown, Bury St. Edmunds

17th century timber framed house with 19th century exterior of red brick on the ground floor and faced in alternate bands of plain and ornamental tiles on the upper storey. Has been a pub since at least 1913, possibly Victorian times. It retains a rare original floor plan of two bars plus an off-sales between them and the little altered interior owes much to the pub being run by the same family since 1975.

The oddly shaped public bar is as a result it it being extended into private quarters in 1975. A hole / hatch was created in the wall that separated the left hand part of the public bar and a former living room now the right hand part of the public bar at that time. The wall was situated adjacent to the public bar door and so a private room was brought into pub use.

Then in c.1976 it was decided to knock down the wall, which nearly doubled the size of the public bar, and also a staircase to the first floor was removed. Interestingly, it was decided to add a bar in the right hand part of the room so the section to the right of the main door only dates from c.1976 but looks almost identical - bar counter front and top - to the original on the left hand side. It is not easy to spot any difference. The metal post (or acro) was added at this time to hold up the ceiling. The public bar therefore retains a sturdy bar counter at least 70 years old, an old bar back shelving, old part panelled walls with benches attached (with post-war leatherette cushioning; possibly a fireplace has been lost.

Between the Public Bar and the Saloon Bar is the off-sales with its own entrance and is a rare survivor. An inner door with a sign 'Off Sales' leads to a tiny narrow room more like a passage with a dado of tongue and groove panelling. There is an old small bar counter with three handpumps and the part mirrored bar back is old with modern shelving added to the left. The off sales is still in use today mainly for confectionery, but occasionally for customers to fill a jug with cask ale - something you cannot buy at the supermarket!

The Saloon Bar on the left has more old tongue and groove panelling, an old bar counter, which in 1975 had a red Formica top - now wood, and an old mirrored bar back fitting; the pot shelf is an addition. On the left hand side of the room is a small illuminated display case which was originally a door to a gents urinal. The fixed seating is from post war times, the fireplace has been lost, and the alcove on the right is a bit of a mystery to the present tenants and may relate to when this building was originally three cottages.