The Kings Road Bury St Edmunds

On a recent run along Kings Road I had to stop fairly often to take pictures of former shops and pubs as this road is very much changed. A very interesting book by Gerry Nixon on the Old Beer Houses of Bury St Edmunds makes the point that there were 4 pubs in this road but the last one closed back in 1991.

The Cricketers Inn and The Butchers Arms were doing business when this road was then known as Field Lane. The road then became known as Cemetary Road aptly named as it does lead at its western end to the large town cemetary. The Soldiers Home and the Wheatsheaf were the other pubs that formerly graced this road.

One of the corner shops I regulalry used to visit was this ivy clad one . Anyone know the name? I always remembered it as a fairly large shop a bit of an aladdins cave with all the sweets and ice creams you could want especially penny blacks and licarice sherbert dabs. I believe it had a
short life as a shop selling glass at one point.


Another shop was on this corner of Kings Road and Mill Road near Chalk Road. For a while this became a hairdressers. Again any remember the name of this shops?

I can rember buying ice creams here. The entrance was directly through the grey coloured bricks where there is a window know. My next stop was here. At the top of Chalk Road is this cream coloured building which is now a hairdressers but was once the Wheatsheaf. I do remember going in here when I first felt I wouldn't be challenged about my age when going into pubs.

It closed in 1981 but I do remember one Christmas venturing in here and there as an accordion player and some folk singing. I think as a young lad we generally took the mick but looking back there was obviously a great tradition which time has killed.

Just beyond this was the entrance to Bury Town Football Ground. I was a regular at the Kings Road ground for many years watching and playing football and selling programmes here. I wish I had had a camera then and now had photographs of this ground.

The next pub to close along Kings Road was this one below. I am not sure now if this was the Cricketers Inn or the Butchers Arms ?






Many people who visit Bury will travel along Kings Road and then via Prospect Row to the car park behind Woolworths. The pub I remember in Prospect Row was the Duke of Welington which is this flint stone building below which is now a day centre. The Duke closed its doors in 1986.


Even know in taking these pictures of Kings Road I know I haven't photographed the newsagent Saunders. It just shows what a lot can change in one road.