The Duke's Head

Website: None Available Address: The High Street               Coddenham, Suffolk               IP6 9PN  Telephone: (01449) 760300

Opening Hours Monday to Friday 18:00 - 11.00 Saturday & Sunday 12:00 - 11:00

On the recommendation of a colleague we decided to take a trip to Coddenham.  Just twenty minutes north of Ipswich this pretty Suffolk village is dotted with old country houses and pleasant lanes and is home to a cracking find of a dog friendly pub. The Duke’s Head is yet another example of what Phil would call a proper pub; locals at the bar, and no jukebox. Set on the main route through the village, the oldest part of the pub dates back to the 1460s. And inside its low ceilings and bowed ancient wooden beam construction has the feel of below decks on a galleon of the same period.  The main bar is expansive yet cosy and to the side there is a smaller games room with pool table.  Dogs are welcome in both bars and in the terrace garden to the rear of the car park.  The kennel and run belong to Sam and his little brother, the landlord’s two Dachshunds. Richard, the landlord, has run the pub for the last eight years and is something of a community stalwart.  The pub is his pride and entertainment.  Having retired from the rat race early, Richard runs the pub to serve and support its community.  Greeting us and the hounds warmly we all settled down at the bar and were soon chatting away like we’d known this place all our life.  We talked about the website and soon other local dog owners popped in to meet Kopek and Malli and join in the fun.  This is a community that looks out for each other and is vital because of it; newcomers, locals and regulars all together and swapping tales. The Duke’s head is a pub for drinking in, and serves a good range of beers and ales, crisps and nuts but not meals.  As a rule the pub is not open on weekdays, but groups of walkers wanting to take advantage of the beautiful countryside are welcome to phone ahead and Richard will happily open up to serve a few ales, and let you eat your packed lunches inside. When it came to leaving we didn’t want to go, but the dogs were making it clear that they wanted to get out in the countryside too.  Having scoured the map before coming out, we were again indebted to Richard as he guided us to a popular local walk around the village and not the seven mile hike we could have let ourselves in for if we had been left to our own devices (Phil would have been really grumpy if we’d have done that one).  The Duke’s Head really is a cracking little pub, and one we hope to return to soon. The only downside to The Duke’s Head is that they don’t serve Guinness on tap, instead, offer cans of draught. Saying that, the cans are a suitable replacement and the good company more than made up for it for Phil.

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