Dating from the first half of the 19th Century, the Foundry Arms has managed to survive into the 21st century, albeit with the occasional hiccup. The pub possibly had several similar names including Foundry and Mark Lane Arms. Each name reflects the location of a nearby foundry
Initially owned and run by a Northrepps couple, William and Pheobe Storey, parents of James Storey who ran the village store on Church Street for many years.
They are listed on the 1861 census as Inn Keepers (Does not say the name of the pub) on Church Street.
On the 1871 census they are listed as Licenced Publican of Mark Lane Inn and Foundry Arms
By 1880 it had been bought by Norwich brewer, Bullards.
On the 1881 census Pheobe Storey, aged 83 was a widow – Occupation Inn Keeper of Mark Lane Inn, which seems to suggest there were two pubs.
On the 1891 census the landlady of the Foundry Arms was listed as Eliza Golden, records show she was landlady between 1889-1894.
It remained tied to Bullards until the takeover by Watneys in the 1960s. It then became owned by PubCos, initially Grand Metropolitan followed by Brent Walker then Pubmaster.
In 1997, the licensees at the time bought the pub from Pubmaster and ran it as a freehouse until around 2006.
However, a couple of years later its future was in doubt as it was put up for sale but, in 2009, was bought by a company, The Foundry Arms Ltd., and was refurbished and re-opened as a pub with one of the directors becoming the licensee.
Its next brush with fate came in 2013 when it would seem as if the owners had different ideas for the future of the pub. We are not sure of the details of what was planned by the owners but it resulted in an application being put forward to protect the pub by granting it the status of an Asset of Community Value which was approved in 2014.
In advance of the approval of the ACV, a new licensee was appointed who, along with his partner, has run the pub successfully ever since.
(Reg Thumper)
White’s Trade Directory of 1836 records two beer houses in Northrepps. These were often the front room of a house or cottage which was opened up to serve glasses of beer, cider and ale. A small fee would be paid to the excise authorities to be able to open up part of the home. Established between 1830-1836, one of the beer houses in Northrepps was alongside Hutson’s foundry and was in a good position to cater for the thirsty workers at the foundry. The other beer house was located in the loke of the west side of Church Street which would later become the Timber Yard.
In around 1851 the Northrepps beer houses were granted a license to become an inn or public house, one was called the Foundry and Marks Lane Arms and the other the Carpenters Arms. By 1858 the Carpenters Arms had disappeared, whilst the other public house prospered and expanded into existing buildings.
1861 Census - Church Street
William Storey Head (M) Born 1798 Gunton, Norfolk Inn Keeper
Phoebe Storey Wife (M) Born 1799 Hanworth, Norfolk -
Charles Brown Grandson (U) Born 1848 Overstrandm, Norfolk Scholar
1871 Census - Foundry Arms, Mark Lane
William Storey Head (M) Born 1797 Gunton, Norfolk Licensed Victualler
Phoebe Storey Wife (M) Born 1801 Hanworth, Norfolk -
Maria Storey Daughter Born 1827 Northrepps, Norfolk Groom
William R J Chapman Grandson Born 1865 Sustead, Norfolk Scholar
1881 Census - Mark Lane Inn, Church Street
Phoebe Storey Head (W) Born 1798 Hanworth, Norfolk Inn Keeper
James Storey Son (S) Born 1835 Northrepps, Norfolk Grocer
William R Chapman Grandson (S) Born 1865 Sustead, Norfolk -
Tabitha Matthews Servant (S) Born 1864 Northrepps, Norfolk Domestic Servant
1891 Census - Mark Lane
Eliza Golden Head (W) Born 1838 Sidestrand, Norfolk Inn Keeper
Sophia J Green Sister (S) Born 1849 Sidestrand, Norfolk General Domestic Servant
Elizabeth S Green Sister (S) Born 1851 Sidestrand, Norfolk Inn Assistant
William H Golden Nephew (S) Born 1866 Hockering, Norfolk Carpenter
1901 Census - Foundry House
Ernest Albert Eastoe Head (M) Born 1868 Diss, Norfolk Licensed Victualler
Laura Ada Eastoe Wife (M) Born 1868 Diss, Norfolk -
Mabel Ida Eastoe Daughter (S) Born 1897 Norfolk -
Emily Algar Visitor (W) Born 1842 Diss, Norfolk -
Mildred Sophia Payne Servant (S) Born 1885 Morthrepps, Norfolk Domestic Servant
1911 Census - Foundry Arms
James George Head (M) Born 1846 Martham, Norfolk Inn Keeper
Edith George Wife (M) Born 1859 ? Norfolk -
Ronald Edwards Son Born 1901 Upton, Norfolk School
Elizabeth Prewer Boarder (W) Born 1828 Caston, Norfolk Old Age Pensioner
George Pooley Boarder (S) Born 1891 North Walsham, Norfolk Blacksmith
Brother-in-law
1921 Census - Mark Lane Inn
Noah Betts Head Born 1859 North Tuddenham, Norfolk Licensed Victualler Own Account
Ruby Betts Daughter Born 1899 Great Melton, Norfolk Household Duties -
Maude Betts Visitor Born in 1891 in Great Melton, Norfolk Cook Private
1939 Register - The Foundry Arms
John Short Head (M) Born 2 Jul 1890 Licensed Victualler
List of Liecencees
By 1845 William Storey
5 Apr 1875 Phoebe Storey
7 Nov 1881 John Golden
27 Jul 1885 Eliza Golden
27 Sep 1897 John Boyce
18 Oct 1897 Ernest Albert Easto
25 Sep 1907 John William Royall
18 Oct 1909 James George
23 Oct 1916 Noah Betts
3 Oct 1921 John Charles Huggins
23 Jan 1933 George William Yallop
28 Feb 1938 John Short
25 Aug 1951 Elsie Short
21 Sep 1953 Frank Edgar Pike
19 Oct 1953 Harvey Stephen Baden Tink
18 Apr 1955 Cecil Charles Keeler
29 Sep 1966 Cyril Tagg
1 Feb 1968 Brian Rutt
5 Feb 1970 Arthur Cyril Barker
1 Feb 1986 Cyril Barker
2 Nov 1989 Linda Manning
10 May 1990 Richard & Carol Lattaway
5 Nov 2006 Kirsty Burtonwood
2009 Ian Humphrey
2013 Sandra Wright
2017 Jason Bumphrey & Sarah Jeans
List of Owners
William Storey
Phoebe Storey
Bullards from 1880
Watney Mann
Brent Walker
Pubmaster to June 1997
Freehouse
Name changes
1854 Foundry & Mark Lane Arms
1858 Mark Lane & Foundry Arms
1865 Market Lane & Foundry Arms
1874 Mark Lane Express
1876 Mark Lane & Foundry Arms
1892 Mark Lane & Foundry Arms
1904 Mark Lane & Foundry Arms
* Mark Lane was the London address of the Corn Exchange where prices of agricultural products were set nationally.
