‘I did a pub called Kitty Witches in Great Yarmouth with my mates on a few dinner time sessions back in June 1982. The pub was a small and single roomed with the bar facing. There were lots of witches hanging from the ceiling and they were also for sale. The pub was a Whitbread tied house and was in the middle of town. I would be very interested if you could let me know what happened to this pub.’ Alan Winfield
The building is still there, and still operating as a licensed premises, under the name Liberty’s Rock Cafe.
The extremely comprehensive Norfolk Public Houses website, referencing local licensing documents, suggests, however, that Alan’s memory of the date might be incorrect, as it was trading as The Lion & Lamb until 1987, when it looked something like this:
The 'Lion and Lamb' pub on King Street in Jan 1975.
Just 5 minutes walk from what is now our museum#PubFriday pic.twitter.com/nYj2CdkZpd
— Time & Tide Museum (@timetidemuseum) December 18, 2015
It then briefly became ‘Manhattans’ in around 1987-88, before being renamed Kitty Witches or Kittywitches from around 1989 to 1996.
It’s possible, we suppose, that it was decorated with witches and/or known as Kitty Witches, with reference to a local folk custom, before the name changed formally.
If you have any more information, or think we have the wrong end of the stick, leave a comment below.
2 replies on “Q&A: What Became of Kitty Witches, Great Yarmouth?”
Thanks for looking into this for me,
The pub was definatly called Kitty Witches when we did it in June 1982,i have written pub names and brewery tie since 1981 so i know that that was the name on the outside of the pub,the narrow row to the right of the pub looks right,so i am pretty sure you have tracked the pub down for me.
I dont know anything about a Lion and Lamb,i last went to Great Yarmouth in 1983 and have done just under 100 pubs there so done most and have not done a Lamb and Lion.
Thanks Alan
That sounds like good primary evidence. We’ll delve further.