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Riviera Centre, Torquay
11-13 April 2025
One of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world.
Units 3-5, Heathfield Industrial Estate, Heathfield Street, Elland, HX5 9AE
Westgate Brewery, Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1QT
Suffolk County Pub of the Year 2023. A splendid characterful pub, which was originally the guesthouse for the Benedictine priory. This inn was extended some years ago and now has two dining areas with a public bar and games room retained around the historic core. The original bar is timber-framed with a flagstone floor. At the heart of village life, the pub hosts folk music evenings and is home to the Rumburgh Morris and Old Glory Molly Dancers. Good quality meals are served featuring locally sourced produce (booking is advisable).
Historic Interest
The inn & the parish church were formerly part of a Benedictine priory.
This former 16th cent. monastery guesthouse. Jock & Laura Canham became landlords of The Buck on September 26th 1926 after previous landlord Ernest Warren was asked to leave after he got his housekeeper pregnant. Jock & Laura ran the pub until Jock passed away during the 1950's but Laura continued to run the pub with the help of her son Nelson (so named because he was born in Holton Lord Nelson). The Buck was owned by the village church until they sold to Adnams during the 1950's. Laura decided to retire in November 1981 & Adnams also decided to sell with the pub in poor condition & needing countless repairs. Initially Adnams marketed the pub for sale as a private house, but David Thomas offered to buy the pub with the licence. Initially Adnams said no, but after no more offers they decided to take David up on his offer & The Buck was saved. David renovated the pub & during his time in Rumburgh also did a lot of work to keep the village church open. He sold the pub in 1987 to Tony & Bea McDonagh who did yet more renovation & this is how the pub remains today. Tony & Bea were here until 1997 when they sold to Richard & Denise Oanes who ran the pub until December 1999 when Roger & Jane Davis moved in. They ran the pub until local pub operator David Maskery bought the pub on September 12th 2002 and Kate & Gary Cornthwaite were landlords until Oct 2016 (details from Kate & Gary). In Apr/May 1982 edition of Last Orders it was reported that Laura Canham had retired from the Buck which was then owned by Adnams. The pub had since closed. In the Jun/Jul 1982 edition of Last Orders it was reported that Laura was here for 55 years & that the pub had since been sold by Adnams. In Sep/Oct 1982 edition of Last Orders it was reported that Mr David Thomas had bought the pub & planned to reopen it after some modifications.
Photographs of this pub and more historical information about it can be found at suffolk.camra.org.uk/pub/835
One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest
Listed status: Not listed
An excellent example of how to expand a pubs trading area by sympathetically creating new separate rooms. Before 1982 the only public rooms were the public bar and the little used 'Men's Kitchen' behind. The bar retains its old counter front (new top), old basic red painted bar back shelves, red painted partition, bare wall bench seating attached to tongue and groove dado panelled walls and a brick floor. A wall to the left of the bar was removed in 1982 and the licensee's private room on a lower level converted to a small quarry tiled floored area with a new small counter and wall bench seating / panelling added to match that in the original part. The games room beyond was originally a stable/barn. Behind the bar the flagstone floored former Men's Kitchen never had a bar until 1982. A photograph in the pub shows two large settles in this room which were removed by Adnams before they sold the pub in the 1980s. It retains tongue and groove panelling on walls and ceiling. At the rear is a small 'Garden Room' built on in the early 1990s. The dining room on the far right was a store room.
An excellent example of how to expand a pubs trading area by sympathetically creating new separate rooms. Up to 1982 the only public rooms were the public bar and the little used 'Men's Kitchen' behind. The bar retains its old counter front (new top), old basic red painted bar back shelves, red painted partition, bare wall bench seating attached to tongue and groove dado panelled walls and a brick floor. A wall to the left of the bar was removed in 1982 and the licensees private room on a lower level converted to a small quarry tiled floored area with a new small counter and wall bench seating / panelling added to match that in the original part. The games room beyond was originally a stable/barn. Behind the bar the flagstone floored former Men's Kitchen never had a bar (added in 1982). A photograph in the pub shows two large settles in this room which were removed by Adams before they sold the pub in the 1980s. It retains tongue and groove panelling on walls and ceiling. At the rear is a small 'Garden Room' built on in the early 1990s. The dining room on the far right was a store room.
This Pub serves 5 changing beers and 0 regular beers.
Buck, Rumburgh
Lunchtime Meals
Evening Meals
Live Music
Garden
Family Friendly
Parking
Dog Friendly
Camping
Games
Real Fire
Restaurant
Separate Bar
Smoking
Wi Fi
Real Ale
Real Cider
Real Heritage Pub
LocAle
Beer Festival
Quiet
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