The Grapes is a listed building in Cross Street, formerly known as the Grapes Inn. It is timber framed with a thatched roof. It is a former open hall house of c.15th century, the upper end rebuilt and enlarged c.1700. The original roof is intact and is considerably smoke-blackened. A floor was inserted in the hall in the late 16th century.
The following is a list of known publicans:
| Year | Landlord | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1828 | Noah Read | Bury & Norwich Post | |
| 1829 | Robert Rush | Suffolk Chronicle 7th October | Robert Rush to leave the Grapes at Michaelmas |
| 1833 | Miller Roddwell | Ipswich Journal 6th July | Sale of The Grapes by Mr Rodwell |
| 1841 | Miller Roddwell | Census | |
| 1842 | Miller Rodwell | Suffolk Chronicle 22nd January | Sale of the goods of Miller Rodwell on leaving The Grapes to move to The Crown Inn, Framlingham |
| 1844 | J. Pipe | White's Directory | Innkeeper & Veterinary Surgeon |
| 1851 | John Pipe | Census | |
| 1855 | Henry Mutimer | White's Directory | |
| 1858 | Henry Mutimer | Post Office Directory | Inn keeper & Butcher |
| 1861 | Henry Mutimer | Census | Dealer & Inn keeper |
| 1865 | Alfred Rush | Kelly's Directory | |
| 1869 | Charles Frost | Post Office Directory | |
| 1871 | Charles Frost | Census | |
| 1874 | Charles Frost | White's Directory | Charles was buried 22nd April 1875 - aged 60 |
| 1875 | Mrs Honor Frost | Post Office Directory | |
| 1876 | Mrs Honor Frost | Ipswich Journal | |
| 1876 | Mrs Honor Frost | Bury and Norwich Post 4th April | Sale of the Lower Brewery and 36 pubs including The Grapes by Charles Farrow of Diss. All bought for £30,000 by Messers Young, Crawshay & Co., Norwich on 20th March |
| 1879 | Edward Steward | Kelly's Directory | |
| 1881 | Edward Steward | Census | |
| 1883 | Edward Steward | Kelly's Directory | |
| 1884 | Edward Steward | Ipswich Journal 7th June | Funeral of Edward Steward who died on the 4th June |
| 1888 | Mrs Steward | Kelly's Directory | |
| 1891 | Mrs Steward | Census | |
| 1892 | Mrs Steward | White's Directory | |
| 1900 | Mrs Emma Steward | Kelly's Directory | |
| 1901 | Emma Steward | Census | |
| 1904 | Albert T. Aldred | Post Office Directory | |
| 1911 | Patrick Daley | Census | Publican & Army Pensioner |
| 1912 | Patrick Daley | Post Office Directory | |
| 1916 | William T. Bailey | Kelly's Directory | |
| 1922 | William T. Bailey | Kelly's Directory | |
| 1925 | William T. Bailey | Kelly's Directory | William died on the 3rd April 1929 |
| 1939 | Reginald Warner | 1939 Register | |
| 1940 | Mr and Mrs Sussex A. Broad | Diss Express 15th March 1963 | Became landlord and landlady in August 1940 |
| 1963 | James Henry Ling | Diss Express 15th March 1963 | Became landlord in March 1963 |
| 1970 | Mr and Mrs Tony Feavearyear | Diss Express 13th February 1970 | Took over in February 1970 |
| 1987 | Alan and Jennie Oldfield | Diss Express 3rd January 1986 | |
| 1990 | Roy and Laura Slegg | Diss Express 26th October 1990 |
In March 1996, Pubmaster Ltd, the owner of The Grapes, was given permission to convert the pub to a private residence. From 1991 to 1995 there had been 5 different tenants and, as the owners had failed to find a new tenant, it had been closed in October 1995 and boarded up. Trade had fallen to such a low level despite a number of efforts to make it a success.
Below are some old newspaper reports regarding The Grapes.
The Ipswich sessions, reported in the Bury & Norwich Post on 23rd April 1828, stated that Robert Hunton had, under false pretences, obtained 7 quarts of beer from Mr Noah Read at the Grapes public-house at Hoxne. He received a sentence of one month's hard labour.
Reported in the Ipswich Journal of 13th July 1850, Josiah Harvey, aged 22, (incorrectly reported as Jonah) was convicted of stealing half-a-crown and other monies, the property of John Pipe, landlord of the Grapes public-house, Hoxne. As the prisoner had a previous conviction he was sentenced to be transported for ten years. A Josiah Harvey, who was convicted at the Ipswich Quarter Sessions on 5th July 1850 and sentenced to 10 years, was transported to Western Australia on the vessel 'Marion' on the 30th October 1851. The ship carried 280 male convicts according to the Australian Convict Transportation Registers.
There was an advert in the Ipswich Journal on the 18th March 1876 for the sale of The Grapes. This was part of the sale of the Lower Brewery in Diss and its associated public houses. The Grapes was described as a substantial full-licensed Inn , with ranges of Buildings, Front Garden and Orchard and 2a. 3r. 21p. of Arable and Pasture LAND, in the occupation of Mrs Honor Frost.
The club room at the Grapes was capable of holding about 100 people. Political meetings were held there in 1884.