Dating back to circa 1650 this large rural pub and hotel has been run by the Halls family for three generations. Despite its size it has a cosy feel to it. There is a changing range of beers many of which are sourced locally. Real cider is also available. A popular food menu has something for everyone. The dining areas vary in size from a large conservatory to smaller, intimate rooms. Modern hotel accommodation with 14 en-suite bedrooms is found in separate buildings behind the pub.
Originally the public bar was the small room on the left called the 'Old Bar' which until the mid 70s had a screen/settle with a 'Toad in the Hole' in it, creating a corridor towards the front of the room, however it does retain its old split door/hatch for service. To the rear of the Old Bar, in what is now the kitchen, there was originally two rooms - a domestic kitchen and 'The Keeper's Room', a private room only used by the estate keepers. The small room to the right of the entrance is the current public bar (also called the Shooting Room) which has a quarry tiled floor, however prior to the mid 1950s it was a domestic room and had a staircase where the servery is now situated which went up to the Club Room upstairs. The pub has been run by the same family since 1956 and just after this date they added the bar counter, mirrored bar back and moved the range fireplace from the old domestic kitchen to here and there have been no changes since. Further to the right a former barn was converted by Bullards Brewery in 1931 to a lounge bar which up to the mid 50s had a tiny bar with a Bakelite top. The present lapped wood counter and mirrored bar back were installed in 1957. In the late 1960s the former cellar was converted to what is a tiny bar now called the 'Cellar Bar', which is at ground floor level. All the other small rooms (11 rooms in total) have been brought into use in recent times. This pub is a model example of how to create more trading area in the most characterful of ways - a number of the walls are partitions that can be opened to amalgamate two or more rooms when required for larger functions.
Originally the public bar was the small room on the left called the 'Old Bar' which until the mid 70s had a screen/settle with a 'Toad in the Hole' in it, creating a corridor towards the front of the room, however it does retain its old split door/hatch for service. To the rear of the Old Bar, in what is now the kitchen, there was originally two rooms - a domestic kitchen and 'The Keeper's Room', a private room only used by the estate keepers. The small room to the right of the entrance is the current public bar (also called the Shooting Room) which has a quarry tiled floor, however prior to the mid 1950s it was a domestic room and had a staircase where the servery is now situated which went up to the Club Room upstairs. The pub has been run by the same family since 1956 and just after this date they added the bar counter, mirrored bar back and moved the range fireplace from the old domestic kitchen to here and there have been no changes since. Further to the right a former barn was converted by Bullards Brewery in 1931 to a lounge bar which up to the mid 50s had a tiny bar with a Bakelite top. The present lapped wood counter and mirrored bar back were installed in 1957. In the late 1960s the former cellar was converted to what is a tiny bar now called the 'Cellar Bar', which is at ground floor level. All the other small rooms (11 rooms in total) have been brought into use in recent times. This pub is a model example of how to create more trading area in the most characterful of ways - a number of the walls are partitions that can be opened to amalgamate two or more rooms when required for larger functions.
This Pub serves 2 changing beers (2 changing guest beers) and 3 regular beers.
Olde Windmill Inn, Great Cressingham
Source: National