The Demon Frieze and the Grapes

The Demon Frieze

Number 59, Abbeygate Street, now Café Rouge restaurant, was built in 1891 to designs by John Shewell Corder of Tower Street, Ipswich, for The Sun Alliance Assurance Company Ltd.  The Alliance Assurance Company was founded in1824; this date is up high on two castles looking very much like two Gibraltar Castles as on the Corn Exchange opposite.

Corder was born in 1856 in South Shields and educated in York.  His father became a silk merchant of Tavern Street, Ipswich.

Our John became articled to Joseph Morris of Reading from 1872 until 1877 as Morris’ younger sister Maria was Corders’ stepmother.  We know that much about him but we don’t know whatever drove him to design this neo-Jacobethan edifice and its extremely strange frieze.

The bottom section of the building is red sandstone with red brick above. But it is the rubbed terracotta frieze in between on either side of the entrance door that sets it apart from any other building in Bury St Edmunds. Sure enough there are the usual swags and tassels you associate with any carved decoration. There is even respect to the history of the town itself, with the Borough insignia of three pierced crowns but it’s the other components that are puzzling.

As each frieze is identical everything is repeated, there are serpents, dragons and griffins and a demonic face! Why?

Corder eventually became a well-respected architect, being consulted on many restorations and even writing a book on Christchurch Mansion.

He was also employed by Tollemache Cobbold to carry out work at the Griffin Hotel in Bury St Edmunds. His portico with griffins on, unfortunately nowhere near the quality of the Alliance property!

John died in 1922. 

The Grapes Inn

At the crossroads of Brentgovel Street, St Andrews Street and Risbygate Street is the Grapes Inn, once the site of the Risbygate.  In medieval times a stone chantry chapel stood close by.  As with the other four town gates it was taken down in the mid 1760’s to allow for better access to the town.

The Grapes Inn has an archway that once led to stables; on the arch keystone, are the letters JB and the date of 1837.  Joseph Baker was the landlord of The Cock Inn that stood on the site of the chapel; when part of the Cock was demolished to make way for the current building he continued in that role until 1840 when George Chinnery became landlord.  Chinnery oversaw the changeover name to The Grapes Inn around 1848.  At this time the Inn had been in the ownership of Henry Braddock who had the Southgate Brewery.

There is nothing left now of the Southgate Brewery, which was on the corner of Southgate Street and Maynewater Lane.  In 1868 Henry Braddock died, and his brewery and portfolio of 11 public houses including The Grapes was purchased by Edward Greene for £7,000!  Greene immediately demolished the brewery to stop it falling into the hands of Fred King, a maltster who was looking for brewing premises.  As it so happens Greene King were formed by the amalgamation of these two men in 1887.

Some changes were effected internally to the Grapes in 1926 and 1976. However, the tendency these days to make one larger bar have also happened here.  One of the few establishments in the town to have live music, it still is a favourite watering hole for many.

With many thanks to Martyn Taylor whose book The A – Z of Bury St Edmunds is available in all local bookshops.