Our fourth pub of the day was the Mariners Compass public house in Gorleston. The pub was opened in 1934 as the Middleton Arms and it was operated over the years by Steward & Patteson, then Watney Mann, Brent Walker and then Phoenix Inns. In 2007, it was renamed as the Mariners Compass. I don’t know the reason for the name change, there was a pub called the Mariners Compass in Great Yarmouth long ago, but it does seem an odd thing to change.
That section of the building to the left is now a dog grooming parlour but it was formerly part of the pub. I suspect that it was originally a fish store as this was mentioned in a 1938 newspaper article.
I also quite liked this newspaper article from February 1935 and this also references that the brewery sacrificed the Earl Grey pub to get a licence for the Middleton Arms.
“That only eleven people were charged with drunkenness in Yarmouth last year” was revealed at the annual licensing meeting on Friday. The Chief Constable, Mr. S. W. Smith, in his annual report, stated that the Monastery alehouse in Middlegate Street, referred to March as redundant, was closed at the end of last year. The licence of the Earl Grey, High Street, Gorleston, was transferred to a new house, the Middleton Arms, Middleton Road, on December 18th, and the licence of the Lucknow Tavern, St. Peter’s Road, was surrendered on the same date. The Duke of York beerhouse, George Street, was closed last February, making three houses dispensed with in 1934. The Anchor of Hope, St. Peter’s Road, and Victoria Tavern, Victoria Road, were redundant, and from a structural standpoint should be referred. Brewers and owners of licensed property were anxious to meet the suggestions of the licensing justices in acquiring property for remodelling premises not redundant, to give better living accommodation.”
The real ale selection is visible in this photo, but it was evident they were laying some things out for a raffle so they politely asked us to order from the bar in the other room. And, it’s fair to say that I hadn’t expected the pub to be so busy when we arrived, it was full and that’s rather positive to see. We didn’t realise that this was the time for the weekly meat raffle and there was music and other entertainment, so our timing wasn’t ideal.
Ordering at the bar took a little while, but the bar staff were friendly and were working as fast as they could. I wasn’t entirely sure why they were selling such large bags of crisps and big bars of chocolate, but I do approve.
I ordered half of the Woodforde’s Wherry and expected a real ale, but it was served as a keg version. I didn’t even know that they did this, but Roy confirmed that they did, and I decided that I preferred this keg to the cask version. It was very reasonably priced at £1.90 for a half, which I think was the cheapest of the day other than for JD Wetherspoon.
It was quieter outside, although it wasn’t the most salubrious of drinking locations.
It was really rather lovely to see a pub that was so busy and so evidently serving its local community so well. They were fund raising and it was bringing the community together, this was very much the sort of place that it would be possible to find new friends if moving to the area. It’s not quite what I expected, but the welcome felt authentic, the atmosphere was welcoming and I was surprised and delighted.