THE CARPENTER'S ARMS

76 Brook Street, Soham, Cambridgeshire, CB7 5AE
Tel: 01353 722026

There cannot be very many pubs that can boast of having had one of the oldest and youngest landladies in Britain behind its bar but 'The Carpenters Arms' in Brook Street, Soham, can
Mrs Lunn kept the pub for many years and was around ninety years of age before she finally gave up. The pub was taken over in 1956 by Mr Jack Jolly who had previously kept the 'No Hurry Inn' at Upware which was destroyed by fire. Mr Jolly kept the pub for a number of years after which Mr and Mrs Smith held the license. Mrs Smith was probably the youngest landlady and had to wait for a birthday to come before she could actually serve, though of course Mr Smith was the licensee.
In 1967 the pub which was owned by Watneys closed and after two and a half years it was purchased by Mr Bob Deeks who owned the Cadogan at Newmarket and who altered it and brought it up to date, opening it as a Freehouse in 1976 and trading until March 1977.
Mr David Harrison was the next purchaser and shortly afterwards made alterations which included inside toilets, a restaurant and functions room, a catering and domestic kitchen to comply with health regulations.
The pub today is twice the size of the original house with an L-shaped bar with beams throughout. The bar was previously three small rooms and with tasteful decoration it has improved the property greatly.
During the alterations and additions a well was discovered on the property. It was 16ft deep and eight foot wide but had to be filled in to allow the extensions to take place.