Our Rich History

George Carlow was a broker and lived to the rear of The Bull up until his death in 1738. He was born around 1660.  
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From articles in the Woodbridge Reporter, it seems that George was a kind, benevolent and generous man. However, he did have nickname as ‘Pious George’.   

George Carlow was a member of a religious sect long extinct called the Separate Congregation who believed in keeping Saturday sacred. Sunday was fine for getting dressed in your best and going to church, but Saturday was purely a day of rest. Carlow even had a book published – ‘A Defence of the Sabbath’ – which is available on Amazon for those that are interested!  

Being not accepted for burial in the church or chapel, he therefore was interred in his own private tomb in his garden. During the expansion of The Bull in the John Grout years, this property was purchased by The Bull. It was probably with some amusement that John Grout converted the property into a ‘brewhouse’. Pious George would surely not have approved.

Despite the ongoing property development, nobody has dared move the tomb, probably because of the inscription;  

You will find that George Carlow still lives on today and the function room at the rear of The Bull is called ‘Carlow’s Room’.  

We also follow the rather eccentric tradition of Carlow’s Dole on or near to Candlemas Day each year. Whilst 20 shillings was sufficient to buy 120 loaves back in 1738 for the poor of Woodbridge, the custom is now followed with bread rolls and jam for the class of a local school supported by the Rector and Churchwarden’s of St Mary’s.

From 1859 to 1887, John Grout was the landlord. Grout was a world-renowned horse dealer who was very popular in the town bringing much employment as well as attracting the rich and famous.
 
The Bull Ride stables once supplied horses to almost every crowned head of Europe, including the King of Italy who frequently stayed at The Bull on horse-buying expeditions. For many years, the front of The Bull included the coat of arms of the Italian royal family.
 
Further notables who have stayed at the Bull include representatives of the Kaiser and the Viceroy of India, who came to buy horses for the imperial and vice-regal stables.
 
John Grout’s equine fame attracted the rich and famous of Victorian society including The Duke of Westminster and Baroness Burdett-Coutts.

During this time, which was a golden age of art for Woodbridge, John Grout was also a good friend of Edward FitzGerald who had  just published The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Edward FitzGerald’s literary fame would take many years to develop and John Grout was certainly the more popular and famous figure.
 
For 14 years, Edward FitzGerald, lived opposite The Bull at number 10 Market Hill and he often entertained his fellow artistic luminaries of the day at The Bull. One famous friend and resident was the Poet Laureate, Alfred Lord Tennyson.
 
John Grout was not overly impressed with the Poet Laureate and commented that ‘he might be a very good poet but he doesn’t know a damned thing about horses’

The late 19th century marked a high point for both Woodbridge and The Bull. The town gained cultural acclaim thanks to Edward FitzGerald’s celebrated translation of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, which attracted artists and writers from across the country. At the same time, John Grout, an internationally renowned horse dealer based at The Bull, brought further prestige to the inn—welcoming royalty and dignitaries from around the world who travelled to Woodbridge to buy his horses.

During this golden era, The Bull was granted permission to display the House of Savoy coat of arms by the King of Italy, a rare and distinguished honour.

King Umberto I originally visited The Bull in 1873 and again in 1875 to purchase horses from John Grout.

At the time, he was the Crown Prince who was in charge of purchasing horses for the royal household and his father, Victor Emmanuel II, the then King of Italy. Umberto succeeded his father in 1878 and reigned until 1900.

William and Harriet Miles took over the business in 1887 having managed the business for John Grout and previously working for the Fitzgerald family as the coachman at Boulge Hall. Harriet succeeded in the business after the death of her husband in 1899 and subsequently it was passed to her son, William who was the landlord until 1922.
 
During this period, the horse dealing business continued but with the rise of the automobile, it became increasingly irrelevant for the business.    
 
The rear of the property, called the Bull Ride, used to have stabling and has now been converted for business use and residential property.  The stables once had capacity for over 170 horses.

John Grout originally supplied horses to the King of Italy, Victor Emanuel II during the 1870's following visits to The Bull from his son, the crown prince, Umberto.
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It seems a key facilitator in this relationship was the multi-lingual and educated Willie Miles Junior who toured much of Europe selling the horse dealing side of the business.

Following the death of John Grout and Victor Emanuel in the late 1880's, William Miles Senior purchased the business. William continued to run the horse dealing business with his wife, Anna, focusing on running The Bull. The Mile’s maintained the relationship with the now King Umberto I who continued to import livestock for the royal household.

After supplying horses to the Italian Royal family for over twenty years, King Umberto I granted The Bull the use of the House of Savoy Coat of Arms in April 1896.

With the arrival of the railway and later motor cars, the coaching trade declined, but The Bull adapted. Its stables were repurposed for horse dealing, becoming a successful venture in the Victorian era and continuing until the early 1920s.

During the famous 1939 Sutton Hoo expedition, the archaeologist from the dig stayed at The Bull and often brought back finds for identifying and cataloguing before being sent on to The British Museum. The Bull has hosted some of the rarest and most priceless of archaeological finds in the British Isles.

However, the past decade has seen a remarkable revival. The growing popularity of Woodbridge as a visitor destination—helped by the international interest in Sutton Hoo, now drawing over 150,000 visitors annually—has brought new life to the town. Alongside this, major infrastructure investment such as Sizewell C has further bolstered the local economy. This is reflected in national surveys where Woodbridge is consistently voted as one of the best places to live (Sunday Times). In 2024, Woodbridge was voted the happiest place to live in the UK (Rightmove).

Today, Woodbridge is once again thriving, and The Bull stands proudly at its heart—a true Suffolk gem, where centuries of history meet warm hospitality.

Sarah and David Clarke acquired Woodbridge’s prestigious and historic Bull Inn in March 2019, with plans to restore it to its former glory, making it a hub for the town’s social life.  
 
Sarah is originally from New Zealand but has lived in the UK for the past twenty years mostly in London and working in the financial services world. Like many Kiwis, Sarah has a passion for sport and the outdoor life.
 
David is from Nottingham and having spent (too!) many years in an office, wanted to focus instead on his passion for great food and wine.   
 
Most of Sarah’s family are back in New Zealand but her only brother married a Woodbridge girl and when The Bull came to the market, Sarah and David (rather naively!) jumped at the opportunity.
 
Sarah and David hope that their offering reflects the best of what New Zealand and England has to offer.