Village pubs in peril
Suffolk's village pubs are an endangered species, as are village pubs across the whole country. They face many challenges such as rural depopulation, supermarkets and other shops selling booze at pocket-money prices and greedy pub companies. The village pub is often the last facility left, once the Post Office and village shop have closed; when the pub closes as well, it can rip the heart out of the village community.
Pub closures are nothing new, but the 20th and 21st centuries have seen a massive contraction in the pub trade and with it a huge increase in the number of villages without a pub.
There are 73 parishes in Suffolk where we have so far failed to find records of even a single pub. In a Parliamentary answer of August 1907, Home Secretary Herbert Gladstone recorded that 100 Suffolk parishes (77 in East Suffolk, 33 in the West), with a total population of 17 436 had nowhere with an on-sales license. According to our latest information there are now 198 Suffolk parishes, with a total population of roughly 58 195, which lack a pub.
And many more villages are in danger of drying out; there are currently 200 parishes (approximate total population 160 770) where only a single pub remains. Even those that are thriving at present can't be guaranteed to keep trading; it only takes a greedy company to spot that they can make a quick killing by building a load of homes on the pub and its land, and another pub can be lost. And just because a parish currently has several pubs, that's no guarantee it won't dry out; Wetheringsett-cum-Brockford once had eight pubs, but today not a single one remains open.
Parishes that have never (as far as we know) had a pub
- Akenham
- Ampton
- Aspall
- Athelington
- Badley
- Barsham
- Boulge
- Braiseworth
- Brightwell
- Burgh
- Capel St Andrew
- Chilton
- Cookley
- Cransford
- Creeting St Peter
- Culpho
- Dallinghoo
- Darmsden
- Debach
- Depden
- Ellough
- Flixton (nr. Lowestoft)
- Flowton
- Fornham St Genevieve
- Frostenden
- Gedgrave
- Gipping
- Gisleham
- Great Livermere
- Harleston
- Helmingham
- Hemley
- Hengrave
- Holton St Mary
- Hoo
- Hunston
- Ickworth
- Ilketshall St John
- Kettlebaston
- Knettishall
- Lackford
- Langham
- Letheringham
- Linstead Magna
- Little Finborough
- Little Livermere
- Little Whelnetham
- Nettlestead
- Nowton
- Pinewood
- Purdis Farm
- Rendlesham
- Ringshall
- Santon Downham
- Semer
- Shelland
- Shelley
- Shipmeadow
- St Margaret South Elmham
- Sternfield
- Stowlangtoft
- Stratton Hall
- The Saxhams
- Thorington
- Thornham Parva
- Wangford
- Wantisden
- Wattisham
- Wenham Parva
- Westley
- Whitton
- Willingham St Mary
- Winston
Parishes that are now dry
- Aldham
- All Saints & St Nicholas South Elmham
- Alpheton
- Ashbocking
- Ashfield cum Thorpe
- Badingham
- Barking
- Barnardiston
- Bawdsey
- Baylham
- Bedingfield
- Belstead
- Benacre
- Benhall
- Boxted
- Boyton
- Bradfield St Clare
- Brampton with Stoven
- Brettenham
- Brockley
- Bruisyard
- Burgate
- Burstall
- Cavenham
- Chattisham
- Chediston
- Clopton
- Combs
- Covehithe
- Crowfield
- Culford
- Denham (Mid Suffolk)
- Denham (St Edmundsbury)
- Denston
- Drinkstone
- Euston
- Fakenham Magna
- Falkenham
- Farnham
- Gedding
- Gosbeck
- Great Ashfield
- Great Bealings
- Great Bradley
- Great Thurlow
- Hacheston
- Hargrave
- Hemingstone
- Henstead with Hulver Street
- Hepworth
- Herringswell
- Heveningham
- Higham (Babergh)
- Higham (Forest Heath)
- Hinderclay
- Holton
- Horham
- Iken
- Ilketshall St Andrew
- Ilketshall St Lawrence
- Ilketshall St Margaret
- Ixworth Thorpe
- Kenton
- Linstead Parva
- Little Bealings
- Little Blakenham
- Little Bradley
- Little Cornard
- Little Wratting
- Marlesford
- Metfield
- Mettingham
- Mickfield
- Milden
- Monewden
- Monk Soham
- Mutford
- Nacton
- Pakenham
- Palgrave
- Parham
- Peasenhall
- Pettaugh
- Playford
- Poslingford
- Raydon
- Redisham
- Redlingfield
- Rishangles
- Rushmere
- Sapiston
- Somerton
- Sotherton
- Sotterley
- Southolt
- St Cross South Elmham
- St James South Elmham
- St Michael South Elmham
- Stanstead
- Stonham Aspal
- Stratford St Andrew
- Stuston
- Sudbourne
- Syleham
- Tannington
- Thrandeston
- Timworth
- Troston
- Ubbeston
- Uggeshall
- Walpole
- Wattisfield
- West Stow
- Westhorpe
- Weston
- Wetheringsett-cum-Brockford
- Whatfield
- Wickham Market
- Wickham Skeith
- Wilby
- Willisham
- Wixoe
- Wordwell
- Worlingham
- Wyverstone
Parishes down to their last pub
(Includes some parishes where the only pub is temporarily closed but expected to reopen).- Acton
- Alderton
- Arwarton
- Assington
- Bacton
- Badwell Ash
- Barham
- Barnby
- Barnham
- Barningham
- Battisford
- Bedfield
- Bentley
- Blaxhall
- Blundeston
- Blyford
- Blythburgh
- Botesdale
- Bradfield St George
- Bramfield
- Bramford
- Brandeston
- Brantham
- Bredfield
- Brent Eleigh
- Brome and Oakley
- Bromeswell
- Brundish
- Bucklesham
- Bures St Mary
- Butley
- Buxhall
- Campsea Ashe
- Capel St Mary
- Charsfield
- Chedburgh
- Chelmondiston
- Chelsworth
- Chevington
- Chillesford
- Coddenham
- Coney Weston
- Cotton
- Cowlinge
- Cratfield
- Creeting St Mary
- Cretingham
- Dalham
- Darsham
- Dennington
- Earl Soham
- Earl Stonham
- Easton
- Edwardstone
- Elmsett
- Elveden
- Eriswell
- Eye
- Eyke
- Felsham
- Finningham
- Flempton
- Flixton (nr. Bungay)
- Fornham All Saints
- Fornham St Martin
- Foxhall
- Framsden
- Freckenham
- Freston
- Friston
- Gazeley
- Gislingham
- Great Barton
- Great Blakenham
- Great Bricett
- Great Finborough
- Great Glemham
- Great Waldingfield
- Great Whelnetham
- Great Wratting
- Groton
- Grundisburgh
- Harkstead
- Hartest
- Hasketon
- Haughley
- Hawkedon
- Hawstead
- Henley
- Hessett
- Hintlesham
- Hitcham
- Hollesley
- Homersfield
- Honington
- Hopton
- Horringer
- Hoxne
- Huntingfield
- Icklingham
- Ingham
- Kelsale cum Carlton
- Kentford
- Kersey
- Kettleburgh
- Kirton
- Knodishall
- Lakenheath
- Lawshall
- Layham
- Leavenheath
- Levington
- Lidgate
- Lindsey
- Little Glemham
- Little Thurlow
- Little Waldingfield
- Lound
- Market Weston
- Martlesham
- Mellis
- Mendham
- Middleton
- Mildenhall
- Monks Eleigh
- Moulton
- Nedging with Naughton
- Newbourne
- Newton
- North Cove
- Norton
- Occold
- Offton
- Old Newton with Dagworth
- Onehouse
- Otley
- Oulton
- Ousden
- Polstead
- Preston-St-Mary
- Ramsholt
- Red Lodge
- Rede
- Redgrave
- Rendham
- Reydon
- Rickinghall Inferior
- Rickinghall Superior
- Ringsfield
- Rumburgh
- Rushmere St Andrew
- Saxtead
- Shadingfield
- Shimpling
- Shotley
- Shottisham
- Sibton
- Somerleyton, Ashby and Herringfleet
- Somersham
- South Cove
- Spexhall
- St Peter South Elmham
- Stansfield
- Stoke Ash
- Stoke by Clare
- Stonham Parva
- Stradishall
- Sutton
- Sweffling
- Swilland
- Theberton
- Thelnetham
- Thorndon
- Thornham Magna
- Thorpe Morieux
- Thwaite
- Tostock
- Trimley St Martin
- Trimley St Mary
- Tuddenham St Martin
- Tuddenham St Mary
- Waldringfield
- Wenham Magna
- Wenhaston with Mells Hamlet
- Westerfield
- Westhall
- Wetherden
- Weybread
- Whepstead
- Wherstead
- Wickhambrook
- Wingfield
- Wissett
- Withersfield
- Witnesham
- Woolverstone
- Worlingworth
- Wortham
- Wrentham
- Yaxley