Cutter Inn, Ely

Cutter Inn, Ely

History of Cutter Inn, Ely

Listed Building

A Cl8 plastered brick building, considerably altered in the C19 and C20.

See ‘The Cutter Inn’ by Reg Holmes.

1416 one of the four houses near ‘the little lane called Antresdale’ was the tenement of John Clement, maltster.

1679 Cutter Lane was known as Beer Lane.

1722

Henry Fleet of Stuntney, William Fleet and his wife Mary, sold to Thomas Stuart of Ely for £45, a messuage, outhouses, yard and orchard in Andersdale in the occupation of Thomas Collingwood and Thomas Butty. This was the site of the Cutter Inn.

Stuart also bought land at the back of the Cutter site which included a malthouse. So although there is no evidence that the site was licensed at this time, it was associated with brewing.

1724

Thomas Steward occupied premises ‘in Borad Lane’ which would become the Cutter Tap.

1733

Steward mortgaged the property for £320 to Haddenham widow Elizabeth Aylmer.

1740

Aylmer passed property on to Abraham Byam landlord of White Hart in Ely.

1757

Abraham Byam bequeathed property to Michal Hindes and wife, then to James Atkins. The maltings and brewhouse were occupied by Thomas Gotobed, landlord of the Black Swan.

1783

Property purchased by Robert Muriel, Ely surgeon and apothecary.

1786

Property purchased by Christopher Taylor who converted maltings and brewhouse into granary. The west of property was acquired in 1811 by maltster Cropley Camps.

1816

A print from this year shows only a cottage on the Cutter site.

1827

The site is now described as ‘a messuage or tenement’ in the possession of Morley Wright Cutlack. The building formerly used as a barn had been converted into a shop for the retail of beer.

1828

Morley Wright Cutlack, a common brewer, and Christopher Legge purchased the whole of the property. From this grew the Legge Brewery in Newnham Street.

1839

The whole property acquired by Sutton miller, William Wright. The malting business was discontinued and the property became dilapidated.

1841

Property put up for sale but no purchaser could be found.

1844

Licence restored. There was a skittle-alley popular with bargemen that was eventually turned into a car park.

1860

Sketch shows that the Cutter was supplying “Eyre’s Celebrated Lynn Ales.”

Business then acquired by Littleport brewer William Cutlack whose business merged in 1907 with Ely brewers Harlock and Company.

Competition meeting of young anglers. At the time there were four fishing clubs in the city.

1964

Inn modernized under Steward and Patteson.