A pub shaped by its people

Our story

Before it was a quiet Suffolk village line-side, Mellis was a junction — and the Tavern still carries that history in its name and character.

Established 1840

Born as the railway age arrived.

The Railway Tavern was built in 1840. Nine years later, Mellis station opened on the line between Ipswich and Norwich, beginning the railway chapter that would give the pub its name.

When the branch to Eye arrived in 1867, Mellis became a working junction. Passengers changed here, goods travelled through the yard and the railway served farms, mills and surrounding communities. The station is gone, but trains still pass close by — and the Tavern remains the village’s social stop.

Frank’s story

How a Londoner found his place in Mellis.

When Frank moved from London to Mellis in 2001, he wanted to become part of village life and get to know the people around him. The Railway Tavern quickly became his local.

Over the next ten years, the pub helped him settle in. It was where conversations began, friendships grew and neighbours became friends. There were countless happy nights and friendships that would last a lifetime.

Long before he stood behind its bar, Frank understood exactly what the Tavern gave the village: somewhere people could meet naturally, regularly and without needing an invitation.

“I met more of my neighbours and other local residents than I could ever have done if the pub was not there.”

Frank Hill — landlord, custodian and Mellis local

2011 · The leap

A pub in jeopardy.

In 2011, Frank returned from working in Iraq to deeply worrying news. The owner was preparing to move abroad and the Tavern’s future was uncertain. There was a real possibility that it could simply be boarded up and left behind.

By then Mellis had no shop, no post office and no other obvious meeting place. The Tavern had become the village hub — one of the last places where local people could come together. For Frank, who knew first-hand how the pub helped newcomers belong, losing it felt devastating.

With his work in the Middle East complete, he made what he still describes as “a moment of madness.” Despite never having worked behind a bar, Frank negotiated a three-year lease and decided to have a go at keeping his local open.

2015 · Putting down roots

From leaseholder to owner.

Those first three years were an adventure. There were heartaches, challenges and plenty of hard work — but there were triumphs too.

Frank became determined not merely to keep the doors open, but to protect the Tavern’s place at the centre of Mellis life. When the lease ended, walking away no longer felt like an option.

He made an offer and, in the summer of 2015, The Railway Tavern became his. What began as an impulsive attempt to save his local had turned into a lasting commitment to the pub, the village and the people who had welcomed him.

Frank and Jo

Together, they are writing the next chapter.

Jo Baker worked behind the scenes at the Tavern for ten years. In 2023 she became Frank’s partner and began taking a much more active role in running the pub.

Today Frank can often be found behind the bar or in the kitchen, while Jo is an important part of its day-to-day life. Together they keep the place welcoming, lively and unmistakably local.

Frank has also repaired the roof, laid a new patio, developed the outside space and added a Victorian railway-style porch. Each improvement has had the same purpose: make the Tavern better for the people who use it without losing the history and character that make it special.

Along the line

Nearly two centuries in nine stops.

1840
The Tavern is built
The pub takes its place beside The Common as the railway age begins to reshape the country.
1849
Mellis station opens
The Eastern Union Railway opens the station on the main line between Ipswich and Norwich.
1867
Mellis becomes a junction
The branch to Eye opens, with Mellis serving passengers, goods and the surrounding agricultural community.
1966
Mellis station closes
Local passenger services are withdrawn, but trains continue to pass through on the Great Eastern Main Line.
2001
Frank finds his local
Frank moves to Mellis from London and discovers the neighbours, friendships and village life gathered around the bar.
2011
The local is saved
Back from Iraq and faced with the pub’s possible closure, Frank takes on a three-year lease — despite never having worked behind a bar.
2015
A permanent home
Frank buys the Tavern and sets about securing its future at the heart of the village.
2023
Frank and Jo
After a decade of work behind the scenes, Jo Baker becomes Frank’s partner and takes a more active role in pub life.
Today
The story continues
The Railway Tavern remains warm, independent, full of character and part of the fabric of Mellis.

More than just a pub

Part of the fabric
of Mellis.

It is a place to meet people you might otherwise never know, celebrate the good times, talk through the difficult ones and simply enjoy one another’s company. After generations of change, the Tavern’s purpose remains remarkably familiar: a place to meet, talk, laugh, eat, drink and belong.

See the Tavern