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Picture source: Ann Summers

The Jolly Gardeners was situated at 22 Pratt Street and is now a private dwelling, Sundial House. Built in 1781, it was also known as The Gardeners Arms. The publican in 1916 was Robert Ray. This pub closed in 1959. A grade II listed building.

Mention The Gardeners Arms to someone living in Soham and they will probably tell you that it was 'Percivals Pub'. In fact Mr & Mrs Percival never held the licence. Mrs King who was Mrs Percival's great grandmother did keep the pub many years ago and when she gave it up her son Mr Solomon King took over. Some time later the licence passed to his sister, Mrs Liza Gilbey who kept it along with her husband Elliott. The couple had a daughter, Ellen, who married Mr George Gilbey, and they took over the pub and ran it until its closure some 30 years ago. Mrs Percival was one of the Gilbery's children and was born at the pub, grew up and married there, and her two children were born before the pub closed down. The Percivals continued to live in the house after it closed as a pub - in fact Freda spent a total of 61 years there. The regulars seemed to consist mainly of workers from the mill nearby and friends amassed over the years. Travellers and soldiers would spend the night there on occasions and the travellers would stable there horses there. Mr George Gilbey entered seveal flower and vegetable shows and won many prizes for his exhibits. When the Gilbeys celebrated their diamond wedding in the tap room they were surrounded by flowers, although it was near to Christmas, and they had two large cakes for the celebration. The house was a very ample one with steps from the yard down into the kitchen, and Mrs Percival recalls that all over the house were a profusion of cupboards and there were three large attic rooms. The beer was drawn from barrels in the cellar and Mr Gilbey was quite capable of carrying three mugs in his hands at a time. He would take round the orders to his patrons and collect the money afterwards. Two houses next to the pub once caught fire and were razed to the ground , and the family prepared to evacuate the pub, but it proved unnecessary. A well stood in the yard at one time. Alterations made included a staircase being made smaller, the front door being removed and the tap room being enlarged. The heating was by an open fire, and it was around this that the regulars would gather on a cold night and pass many a pleasant hour.

Ann Summers (August 2017)

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Other Photos

Picture source: Robert Edwards