About the pub

The Limeburners, a charming English pub in Offton, Suffolk, offers a warm welcome to locals and visitors. Known for its selection of real ales and live music, this rustic establishment has become a community favourite.

The spacious garden provides a serene outdoor setting, perfect for families to relax while children play. The pub’s family-friendly atmosphere extends indoors, where guests can enjoy a variety of beverages. Live music events featuring local talent are regularly hosted, adding to the vibrant ambiance.

The Offton lime kiln was used for lime burning, a process where chalk is heated to about 900 degrees Centigrade to produce quicklime. This material, when mixed with water, becomes slaked lime, used as fertiliser and for making mortar. Further addition of water creates lime putty, once used for plastering.

Lime has been used in building since Roman times, with its use as a fertiliser becoming widespread in the late 18th century. Records show its use as early as 1382. Small individual kilns like the one at Offton began declining around 1840 with the growth of railways, as larger centralised kilns became more economical.

The last record of the Offton kiln’s operation is from the 1881 census.

In 1844 & 1855 John Hood is listed in White’s Directory as a lime burner & beer house keeper in Willisham . This may well have been the origins of the public house.

Building reputedly cost about £800 to build in 1850.

In 2007, heavy rain and a burst water pipe caused significant subsidence, forcing the pub to close for more than six months.

Extensive structural work was undertaken, including reinforcing the foundations to prevent future subsidence issues.

The Limeburners pub had several renovations and improvements between 2022 and 2024.

An American-style diner also opened next door, offering smoked meats, burgers, vegan options, and more. The pub’s exterior has been refurbished, including new garden furniture.