The Beauchamp Arms

[JennyMorgan]

39 minutes ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

Last time we went to cantley wasn't  very impressed  with the pub they turned the restaurant  into  a games room and food just about okay. 

I last stopped there about four years ago. What I was served was over-cooked and akin to an over-sized school or canteen 'dinner'. With Reedham Ferry just downstream and Surlingham Ferry and the pub at Rockland Broad just upstream means for me that Cantley has become a pub that I just pass on by. Excellent moorings though.

[Chelsea14Ian]

It's such a shame we eat often  at the ferry house always good,haven't  been to rockland broad for a few years. May give it a try this season(depending)what's left.Indeed Reedham ferry very good,Waters edge again a few years since we stopped  there,good food.

[trambo]

The Beauchamp Arms, last time overnighted was in the 1990s on Eastwood's Santa Cruz. Pretty poor even then which is a shame as it's such an iconic and handsome building.

Don't rate Cantley as an eatery. Ferry House Surlingham is a must. Super basic menu at reasonable prices. A model of how to run a good pub and restaurant. New Inn Rockland always enjoy. Waters Edge, get a bank loan first! Really top notch food, on another level than any other riverside establishment  but only for that special occasion. Reedham Ferry, very hit and miss but seems to be more miss than hit recently. The two pubs in Reedham, ok but nowt special,

Fred

[Paul]

The Beauchamp used to be one of the very best hostelries on the river, perhaps even the best. The Sunday carvery already mentioned by VetChugger as good as any you would ever find. Served in a really pretty dining room, note dining room not restaurant, as it should be with a pub. Not just the carvery, all the food was excellent and it was a regular haunt in my camping days when I would walk down the lane and have lunch on that terrace wand watch the world go by. Sadly that's 30 and more years ago.

I doubt it will see those glories again. 

[NorfolkNog]

10 minutes ago, Paul said:

doubt it will see those glories again

Not under the present ownership 

[NorfolkNog]

Pictured in happier days including the famous (or infamous) bouncy castle. 

[JennyMorgan]

Last time I was there, a couple of summers ago, was for party, new age traveler style. That in itself was great, met some grand people and, in fairness, what ale was available was in good condition. However, the place was a tip and the opening hours sporadic.  

[MaceSwinger]

I must say the only time I've ever been in was a good few years ago now, possibly around 2010 or possibly earlier. Me and my brother in law ducked in there to escape from our respective wives for an hour and the place really was run down.

[Mouldy]

54 minutes ago, MaceSwinger said:

I must say the only time I've ever been in was a good few years ago now, possibly around 2010 or possibly earlier. Me and my brother in law ducked in there to escape from our respective wives for an hour and the place really was run down.

If you thought it was bad then. . . . . . 

[Bytheriver]

18 hours ago, Mouldy said:

Itv was when we went past the weekend before last.  Another eyesore! 

For those who don't know the wooden superstructure was removed from Vagabond at Deal Ground Trowse but got caught by a combination of bridge closures at Reedham & Great Yarmouth There is a picture of it passing through Bramerton in the July Harnser Magazine

Edited June 30, 2020 by Bytheriver
update

[Bytheriver]

17 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

If you thought it was bad then. . . . . . 

The owner has a Licencing application with Broadland DC for one of the outbuildings at the Berney Arms - outcome as yet unknown

[MaceSwinger]

21 minutes ago, Bytheriver said:

The owner has a Licencing application with Broadland DC for one of the outbuildings at the Berney Arms - outcome as yet unknown

I'd heard that on the grapevine, there was a hope it may breathe a bit of life into that site. What I'd heard was that it was going more along the lines of a bistro with a bar rather than just a pub.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Dont hold your breath!Will only improve  with nee land lord and a good management team.

[Paul]

1 hour ago, MaceSwinger said:

I'd heard that on the grapevine, there was a hope it may breathe a bit of life into that site. What I'd heard was that it was going more along the lines of a bistro with a bar rather than just a pub.

I think it's more along the lines of a smoke screen in a further attempt to get the pub itself de-licensed. I don't think there is any intention to create a serious business of any kind on the site. 

[MaceSwinger]

16 minutes ago, Paul said:

I think it's more along the lines of a smoke screen in a further attempt to get the pub itself de-licensed. I don't think there is any intention to create a serious business of any kind on the site. 

I did wonder how you'd create any sort of viable business there. There's no road access, very infrequent trains, and outside of tourist season you'd be very limited on boat traffic, which would have to be your primary custom. It's sad, but unless someone has money to sink into without needing to make a profit, I can't see how it would work as a pub or restaurant.

[NorfolkNog]

Paul is spot on there. I agree, just a ploy. It's so run down now it would take a lot of money and enthusiasm to get it trading properly again. It is tougher for pubs now then ever. But bear in mind it did trade successfully for many years and I don't think that it's a coincidence that the change of ownership runs parallel with its demise. I think, like the Beauchamp the intention was always alternative use. 

[Ray]

22 hours ago, Ray said:

We stopped there last year in September, we were the only boat and customers but received a warm welcome and they were happy to cook for us. Our dog was welcome and the music playing was first class.

Good food, couple of pints and we noted it for future visits to the South as we liked it so much. 

If it wasn't for the photos I'd assume I was talking about a different pub! Weird isn't it? It wasn't in the first flush of youth I grant you but it was clean, friendly and had good food and service!!!

I can't even think it's my lack of standards as my better half was there and she's a fussy so and so ☺

[Mouldy]

5 hours ago, Bytheriver said:

For those who don't know the wooden superstructure was removed from Vagabond at Deal Ground Trowse but got caught by a combination of bridge closures at Reedham & Great Yarmouth There is a picture of it passing through Bramerton in the July Harnser Magazine

It’s been at Cantley since before the lockdown in March.  The photo of it passing through Bramerton must be a few months old. 

[ChrisB]

Only the owner of a business knows if it is trading successfully. Just because a business is busy does not mean it is trading successfully. It entirely depends how heavy the business is leveraged. When your debts are considerably more than your equity it is very hard to live for 52 weeks on earnings for 20.

Should you own the premises outright, have no overdraft, use it as your home and self finance the stock you may be in with a chance.

[JennyMorgan]

59 minutes ago, Mouldy said:

It’s been at Cantley since before the lockdown in March.  The photo of it passing through Bramerton must be a few months old. 

I suspect that the port authority at Yarmouth will insist on the Vagabond being seaworthy before being allowed to pass through the harbour. I would imagine that the tug company will do likewise.  An alternative might be to tow her across the North Sea on a pontoon barge, at a price! On the other hand perhaps an English yard could do the structural work.

[vanessan]

I had tried to find out where Vagabond was going to finally pitch up but without success. Does anyone know where she is destined for?

[JennyMorgan]

1 minute ago, vanessan said:

Does anyone know where she is destined for?

Allegedly she's going home to the Netherlands.

[marshman]

The costs must already exceed the value - sounds to me a bit like carrying coals to Newcastle!!! ( Yes I know there are no pits left open...!! )

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, marshman said:

Yes I know there are no pits left open...

I thought that Gt Yarmouth was the absolute pits!

[Broads01]

I've overnighted at the Beauchamp more than once in years gone by, the last time in 2001 I think. In those days the moorings on the bank upstream of the pub were reasonable. I can't remember if there were posts or not but the grass was short enough to make it an easy short stroll to the pub. Nowadays, as mentioned above, the bank is so overgrown as to make disembarkation impractical so boaters are left with only a couple of spaces in front of the pub. When you add that to the sad, sorry for itself look the whole place has it all seems so unwelcoming and so incongruous with the riverside location.