Fuller's Hill

Fuller's Hill became the roadway leading from North Quay to the end of Northgate Street, although it originally did not run as far west, since it only ran as far as the end of Row Nine.

Fuller's Hill was in the seventeenth century, the residence of some prominent people in Yarmouth, including Sir Thomas Meadowe, who was recommended by Charles 1st. to be elected to the office of Bailiff. Thomas Meadowe, the father of Sir Thomas, had been elected in 1617, 1629 and 1638. His son Sir Thomas Meadowe also entered the Corporation, and was friendly with Sir John Wentworth of Somerleyton Hall. He was responsible for paying one thousand pounds of ship money gathered from the Yarmouth citizens to Sir John Wentworth, but had resisted this. Sir John Wentworth was the High Sheriff at the time. Sir Thomas Meadowe had lands in Herringfleet, and owned the Manor at Herringfleet which he had built in 1650, and also re-built the great barn there.

In 1662 he was selected to fill the office of bailiff, and at that time the townsfolk disowned Henry Cromwell as High Steward, and elected in his place Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon and Lord Chancellor. Whilst in office Sir Thomas entertained the Bishop of Norwich, Lord Townshend, Lord Richardson, Sir William D'Oyley and the Dean of Norwich, and provided an "entertainment extraordinary" for Sir Edward Turner, Speaker of the House of Commons. This cost thirty five pounds.

In 1682 he was once again bailiff, and had to personally attend the King in Council on the affairs of the town. In his house at Yarmouth he had the Earl of Yarmouth as a guest, when the latter came to be sworn in as High Steward. Palmer also relates how Sir Thomas Meadowe, as prime bailiff and his colleague Nathaniel Symonds, at that time the junior bailiff, had a squabble as the duties which were in dispute. Nathaniel Symonds will be mentioned in the matters concerning 55 King Street and the White Lion public house.

On the south side of Fuller's Hill, adjoining Conge Street, towards the west, Sir Thomas Meadowe had a Brewery, which he purchased from Augustin Bloomfield. This was probably the oldest Brewery in the town according to Palmer, and was conveyed in 1698 to Christopher Brightin, beer brewer. Sir Thomas Meadowe's house was rebuilt in 1642. He had obtained leave to extend the walls so far as the former buttresses projected, and to enclose a piece of ground to the west. At that time the only substantial piece of building on Fuller's Hill with a large piece of ground enclosed is that on the south end of Fuller's Hill to the west of George Street. (This is the site of the former Zebra bus depot, now divided into Comet and the D.I.Y. shop.) The only substantial building that might have been Sir Thomas' brewery would be that on the south-west end of Row Eleven, in the middle of the site which is now Brewery House, or the Brewery Stores, previously the Falcon Brewery; eventually this absorbed Row Thirteen.

Brewery Street is on the site of what was formerly rows seventeen and eighteen, at Sayer's Corner. Fuller's Hill was originally much higher and was thought traditionally to be the oldest part of the town where the settlement first began. Even in Palmer's time the road had been much lowered for the convenience of traffic, and the houses on the south side became much elevated above it. These houses are evident in the photographs of Fuller's Hill, as it was then; these houses have of course all been entirely swept away, and the space between Row Ten and Row Nine completely obliterated and filled by the road. Here the Surveyor's plans showing the outline where the road was to be prior to demolition, are most useful.

Fuller's Hill passage would now be situated in the car-park on the north side of Fuller's Hill. Lacon's brewery, mentioned above, was one of the first premises to be connected to the telephone, in 1888, and had the number - Yarmouth 12. At the foot of the hill at the west end of Fuller's Hill there was an old public house called the "Sawyer's Arms". This was destroyed by fire in 1841, and a new house erected on the site called "The Albion", and then set back eight feet in order to widen the road, which had been very narrow. The Albion public house can be seen on the 1797 and 1906 maps, becoming wedge shaped as re-built after the 1841 fire.

This pub. is seen as a rather square Georgian style building with very tall chimneys in the 1880 photograph, looking over the top of the hill. The large house likely to have originally belonged to Thomas Meadowe, can easily be seen in the photograph to the left of the Albion. Immediately in front of this was George Street, commencing with no. 116. Rather nearer, the next houses situated on the very high ground faced by a wall and which were approached by steps, are seen in three photographs, one with a gathering of people, and one with a clear view of the south side, showing the "Jolly Waterman", which was closed in 1903. The Jolly Waterman was no. 32 Fuller's Hill, and on the elevated piece were nos. 34, 35, 36 and 37. There was a passage-way between nos. 35 and 36, the entrance to which looked like a doorway, but which had no door and passed under no. 36. nos. 38 and 39 had a double shop front, 38 had a bay window, 39 had a flat window with many panes, no. 40 was the square two-storey house with the sign board in front, and what looks in the photo. like a passage way goes into a yard as seen from the surveyor's drawing, on the 1906 plan. No. 41 can then be seen which is a rather pretty georgian private house. No. 116 George Street, looked very dilapidated indeed, possibly empty and semi-derelict, judging from the state of the windows. As seen on the surveyor's plan, no. 116 had the corner cut off. I feel that this must have been demolished earlier in order to improve the view into Fuller's Hill. It looks in a better state in the 1880 photograph, but has all its main windows looking east, and a very small window with a rounded top at ground floor level- or between floors; perhaps on a stairway looking north into Fuller's Hill. Between this house, (no. 116) and Sir Thomas Meadowe's house there appears tohave been a fairly tall garden wall. No. 31 had a first floor platform, projecting into Fuller's Hill, which must have been used for loading carts - perhaps there was a grain loft.

Irene Newman*3 lived at the Albion from the age of 7 with her family (1929) until she was in her twenties, at which time the old Inn was demolished to enlarge the roadway. The house had already lost its licence as described by Harry Johnson, and had been lived in by the vagrants, so it was in a poor state. Her brother aged 18 did all the decorating, and subsequently became ill. The Newman family comprised seven girls, three boys, and their parents. There were four large bedrooms on the first floor, and they used these rather as dormitories, with 2 cots and 2 beds in one room. The Council owned the house then, and when they later pulled it down, Irene was moved to Milton Road. In a modern house (no. 3) on the north side, (modern as described by Palmer) Dr.Alfred Impey commenced practice in Yarmouth as a physician, and obtained considerable eminence. He died in 1852 at Cove Hall, Suffolk, at the residence of his Father in Law, William Everett Esq., at the early age of thirty eight. There was a mural monument to his memory in the south aisle of St. Nicholas Church, with an inscription on brass "Erected By Friends Who Appreciated His Worth And Abilities". At the south-east corner stood an old house which in 1751 was the property of John Hurry, and was occupied by Martha Palmer, widow. It was re-built as two dwelling houses in 1777 by John Vout, liquor merchant*4, and they were partially pulled down in order to widen the approach to Fuller's Hill. In 1903 Mr.Howes removed the mound and demolished some cottages to make way for the widening of Fuller's Hill.*5 These must have been either 41 and 42 Fuller's Hill, or possibly what was subsequently shown as 16 Church Plain. These buildings are again seen on this corner during the demolition taking place in January 1971. There are two photos showing D.H. Folkes' Antiques Shop and the Public House to its left or south side in Brewery Plain. Previously the Folkes' shop seems to have been the Tobacconist behind the belisha beacon in the 1930's photographs. Buttings is no. 42. -the number can clearly be seen. The end house in Fuller's Hill on the south side (no. 41) is Cubitt's Yarmouth Bloaters and Kippers. In Northgate Street at the south end, on the west side, we still of course have the Crystal Public House, on the corner of Fuller's Hill. nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 remain much as they were. There is now a Hairdressers at no. 2. Nos. 3, 4 and 5 are Cox's Jewellers. No. 6 was owned by Mr. Doughty, no. 7 was in 1991 Keith Lawson's Antique Clocks, and no. 10 is part of Wheatley's establishment, the Antique Merchants.

*3. interview, 1991.

*4. John Vout was referred to as owning houses on the corner now called Brewery Plain, and owned the King's Head public house on the east side of Northgate Street.

*5. ref. Ecclestone's extracts.

FULLER'S HILL : Occupants 1874

North side

1. Parker, William, wine and spirit merchant

1. Deeks, Thomas, Ham curer

3. Bensley, Thomas, Ham carpenter, "Impey House"

4. Goose, James, gardener

5. Goffin, Alfred, marine stores

6. Emes, Suzanna

Fuller's Passage

1. Wisker, John, marine stores

2. Pillow, Charles, carter

3. Millard, Charles, musician

4. Thomas, Benjamin, fisherman

7. Thomas, John, shopkeeper

8. Farner, Rebecca, Lodgings

9. Whittaker, George, brewery

10. Bullimore, George Robert, carter

11. Barker, Zachariah, blacksmith

12. Hall, George, shoemaker

13. Cobram, William

14. Thompson, John, victualler, "Albion Tavern"

15. Atkins, Philip, cowkeeper

16. Forder, shoemaker

17. Harbord, Robert, barman

18. Rowland, Mrs., dressmaker

Blake, William, shrimper

20. Waters, James, coal porter

21. Gown, James, coal porter

22. Chandler, Samuel, coal porter

South side

23. Ratcliffe, John, coachbuilder, house,

26. Caister Road

24. Scotten, Sarah, shopkeeper

25. Rainford, Rosanna, shopkeeper

26. Rogers, Louis, fisherman

27. Gooch, T., basket maker

28. Fulcher, Mary, laundress

George Street

29. Allcock, James,John, beer retailer

30. Wells, John

31. High, Henry, shoemaker

32. Campher, Robert, basket maker

33. Watson, James, basket maker

34. Long, Mary Ann, laundress

35. Bexfield, Stephen, miller

36. Symonds, Harriet

37. Woodrow, Wm., brewery

38. Clarke, George, fisherman

39. and 40. Watson, George, Game dealer

41. Ramm, Cornelius, haberdasher

42. Cooper, J.W., shoemaker, (and Church Plain)