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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Mermaid, Norwich Road, Hedenham during the 19th century. \u00a9 Hania Franek<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fun as it might have been, there was one unhappy prominent local who, had he lived into 2013, would have been most overjoyed to see its door close for one final time. His name was John Peter Chambers, and he was the Rector of St. Peter’s Church (formerly St. Mary and St. Peter) in Hedenham. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Luckily for us, Rector Chambers kept a diary. Many entries namecheck the Mermaid, which was an ongoing concern for Chambers. Some of the entries are exquisite in both their insight and the language used to describe what Chambers saw as debauched and senseless activities going on at the pub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “A final auction at the Mermaid and I do trust the wretched host will at last be got rid of.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This sentence, from Chambers’ diary, is reference to George Spicer, landlord of The Mermaid, which had also been known at varying times as the Mermaid & Rosary (1845), Rosary (1846 and 1851), and the Mermaid at Hedenham Rosary (1879). Chambers had been petitioning for some time to oust the landlord, who from 1836 had been at the helm. In 1838 it would appear Chambers succeeded in his campaign. However, it’s always good to be careful of what you wish for, as Chambers next entry perfectly illustrates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “3 June, 1838. Whitsunday.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An appropriate prelude to the disgraceful festivities on Whit Monday established by mine h\u00f4te de la Mermaid: consisting of donkey racing, grinning through a horse collar, climbing a pole for a leg of mutton, won by one Todd of Seething<\/em><\/strong>**, etc. all which collected together as might be expected the tag, rag & bobtail of the adjoining villages. I myself was out at Sir E. Travers till nearly 12 o’clock & on my return saw the Mermaid overflowing, inside & out; a booth in Brick field full of choice spirits carousing & from the noise I judge 3 or 4 o’clock was the earliest hour at which any attempt was made to break up & my man-servant, fool like, had the comfort of sleeping, if he did sleep, in the laundry. I thought in getting rid of Spicer, I had achieved a mighty feat but it should seem, I fear “Exidit in Scyllam qui vulvitare Charybdis”*** . Sent for him the following morning, or rather on the same morning & hope I have had some effect as to breaking up at an earlier hour this evening when a ploughing match is to take place etc.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Poor old Chambers, it would seem his worries with the Mermaid and its landlords and patrons would continue on. On a serious note, Chambers censure of the Mermaid comes from the death of a man which was recorded as accidental by a coroner. Chambers recorded in his diary that “the drunkenness was so marked and one man was killed while driving home after an evening of rioting there”. The Coroner gave the verdict of accidental death as the man was already drunk when he reached the Mermaid at midnight, and should not have been allowed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mermaid, Norwich Road, Hedenham during the 19th century. \u00a9<\/em> Brown & Co.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mermaid had been in existance as a pub from at least the early to mid 18th century, when in 1742 the Rector at the time recorded a note regarding the baptism of William Middleton as “this child was born at ye Mermaid as ye parents were travelling…from north Walsham in this County.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A 1930’s publication, a hand written, and illustrated book, bound in vellum, compiled by the Women’s Institute at the time, puts the Mermaid at being built before 1730. Its curious name, the Mermaid, comes from the mermaid sitting “attiring herself by the sea”, pictured on the crest of the Garney’s family, who either built or completed construction of the pub in the 18th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ‘rosary’ element from some incarnations of the pub derives from the rosary barn adjoining the building. During the 19th century the Mermaid inn included a three acre rosary. In September 1848 the Hedenham Rosary was described as<\/p>\n\n\n\n “A delightful spot to which the proprietor had added a very valuable and extensive collection of hollyhocks, a tribe of plants hitherto cultivated in this country. The rosary having about 4,000 plants, 1,000 of which were on show, many having spikes of three feet and above exhibiting a mass of bloom.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n *the old English art and competition of gurning<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n **Seething – an adjoining village<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/hedenhamhistoricalsociety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Screenshot-2026-05-29-at-15.46.10-1024x688.png\")
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