Pub landlord to take boozer on the road during World Cup to avoid repair works

Susanna Siddell
Tue, 28 Apr 2026 08:17:07 +0000

A pub landlord is planning to take his boozer on the road during the World Cup to dodge repair works outside the property.

Suffolk's Pete Goss, along with co-landlady Sophie McCreddie, are looking forward to the footballing event - but only for the first week, before diggers take up residence outside the King's Head.

As a result, the Bildeston couple have transformed a horse-box into a rollable pub while the water repairs are completed along the village high street in an innovative business revamp.

The watering hole was first built back in the 1300s as a woolhouse and later became a pub in the 1530s - and has been offering up drinks to thirsty locals in the 500 years since.

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And, back in 1996, the King's Head welcomed a micro-brewery onsite.

Now, the newly-fashioned watering hole will offer pubgoers real ales, wines and spirits from an impressive slide-out bar.

It will be located outside the roadwork-ridden area in Bildeston and travel through nearby villages and hamlets until the water repairs are completed in November.

One of the duo's regulars, who lives four miles from the King's Head, hailed the pub owners' "brilliant idea".

With the pub on wheels, they raved over not having to drive - "or worry about being over the limit", they told The Sun.

Ms McCreddie explained that the majority of their regulars come from the surrounding area.

"Now in spite of being cut off, if they can’t get to the pub — the pub can get to them," she added, hoping for a good turnout in support.

Meanwhile, another regular offered up lavish praise for the British boozer, saying they were keenly anticipating "drinking a proper pint outdoors on a warm summer evening".

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A local Campaign for Real Ale member raved over the "excellent idea" to The Sun, heaping praise onto the award-winning pub.

"News of the diversion came as a serious blow to customers and regulars who have to drive there so being able to have a travelling pub is brilliant," they added.

But the roadworks are not just impacting the King's Head; the rest of the village's businesses are bracing for the five-month-long roadworks ahead as well.

The High Street will close from June 22 until November 30 while Anglian Water can fix a water main, upgrading almost an entire kilometre of pipes at the same time.

Suffolk County Councillor, Robert Lindsay, described the lengthy roadworks as "short-term pain for long-term gain".

He said: "It's going to be a massive inconvenience for residents of Bildeston and all the people who go through this area for work, school or college.

"There will have to be big diversions and because it's a phased closure, those diversions will change slightly, with massive extra distances and times for commuters.

"However, the alternative is to not fix the main, and it's continually springing leaks because it's 90 years old. It's reached the end of its life," he said, adding it was a "necessity".