AN ICONIC pub that featured on a popular Channel 4 TV show has closed after failing to find a new tenant.
The closure of the 11-bedroomed coaching inn, which dates back to the 17th century, has been linked to the dire economic situation facing British pubs.
Manager Victoria MacDonald, who started her career in the hotel trade in London, said she was stepping away from the Old Ram Coaching Inn for “personal reasons”.
She said the owner of the pub, Admiral Taverns, had hoped to find a new tenant but this had not been possible.
“I’ve reached the end of my tenancy, and sadly, no new tenant has been found,” Mrs MacDonald told the Eastern Daily Press.
Mrs MacDonald said she hoped “until the very last minute” that a new tenant had been found.
She added: “It is probably a reflection of the hospitality climate at the moment that it has proven quite difficult to find someone to take it on.”
In January 2018, the Norfolk pub featured on Channel 4’s Four in a Bed.
In the series, bed and breakfast owners took turns to stay with one another and pay what they considered fair for their stay after giving feedback.
Mrs MacDonald, who is on the National Executive Committee for the Campaign for Pubs, hit out at the Conservative government in 2021 after the then prime minister Boris Johnson refused to rule out restrictions in response to soaring rates of Covid.
At the time, Mrs MacDonald said she felt the industry has been “totally let down” by the lack of a way forward.
The Old Ram Coaching Inn was also one of the finalists in The Great British Pub Awards 2022.
According to the latest statistics, one pub a day disappeared for good in England and Wales during 2025.
A spokesperson for Admiral Taverns said: “We can confirm the Old Ram is currently closed after the licensee’s decision to leave the business.
“We would like to thank Victoria and her team for all their hard work during their time at the pub and are reviewing options for the future of the site and continue to look for the next licensee.”
