The Magpie Inn

The Magpie Inn is an inn that was built in three main stages: in the 15th century, early 16th century, and early 19th century. The 19th-century section, which is the main front of the building, is constructed in a double-pile style and made of painted brick. It features low-pitched hipped roofs covered with slate and has internal red brick chimneys. The inn is two storeys high and has three windows with small-pane sashes and moulded lintels.

There is a flat-roofed entrance porch from the 19th century, also made of painted brick, which has a fanlight with border panes and a moulded lintel. The entrance features a pair of half-glazed panelled doors from the 20th century. To the left of the main block is a two-cell cross-wing dating from around 1500, which is timber-framed and plastered. The upper floor of this wing jetties out towards the road, and a fragment of a corner post beneath the jetty indicates that it was once jettied on two sides. The roof is covered with plaintiles and has a square chimney of red brick from the 16th or 17th century.

The cross-wing has various 19th-century small-pane sashes and casements, and beneath the jetty, there is a splayed bay with sashes. Inside, the original framing is well-preserved, featuring a 4-centred arched doorway and a large open fireplace from the early 16th century with a cambered lintel.

At the rear, the original 15th-century range is a three-cell open hall house, also timber-framed with a pantiled roof. The hall has a central open truss with a massive cambered tie-beam and thick arch-braces, and the roof is smoke-blackened with coupled rafters. The parlour cell to the left has large exposed unchamfered floor joists and widely spaced studwork. In the late 16th century, an upper floor with chamfered joists was added to the hall, and a chimney was constructed near the cross entry. In the 20th century, this chimney was removed, and the ground floor of the 15th-century building was combined to create a lounge bar.

Historical records indicate that in 1481, the Rev. John Beale bequeathed his property, known as the Pie, to trustees for the purpose of repairing the highways of Little Stonham.