195-197, KINGS ROAD

195-197 Kings Road is a public house, originally known as the Six Bells, built in 1898 by G.R. Crickmay and Son. The building has four storeys and features a façade of rendered brick with a slate roof. The exterior showcases a triple bay gabled front with three storeys and a jettied attic. Although the ground floor has been altered, it still retains carved brackets shaped like winged devils. The entrance to the upper flats is located at a recessed entrance to the left, which has a plank door with decorative fittings beneath a Tudor arched opening. The first and second floors feature oriel windows reminiscent of Shaw's House in Ipswich, with leaded lights and decorative aprons at the second floor. The jettied attic storey is adorned with dentil enrichment along the wall-plate, cornice, and gable surrounds.

The interior of the ground floor has undergone significant alterations, while the upper floors are now flats and were not inspected. Historically, this site has long been associated with public houses and was known for its bowling green. The rebuilding replaced a fairly ordinary two-storey structure with this notable design, which reflects the influence of Norman Shaw and Arts and Crafts architecture. An article in 'Licensing World' from March 14, 1914, referred to the pub as a prototype of the 'Mock Antique Tavern', a new style of pub design that replaced the 'Gin Palace' and became widely replicated. The pub experienced further alterations in 1959 when it reopened as 'The Bird's Nest at the Six Bells', followed by more changes in 1983 when it adopted its current name. Despite modifications to the ground floor, the building remains a distinguished example of Late Victorian public house design.