Late 18th or early 19th century inn with attached accomodation, altered to form a large roadhouse in the early 20th century. The buildings are largely orientated along a rough north to south axis. They are mostly of two storeys, being built of brick with stone dressings, and under a variety of pantile and slate roofs. Little is known about the early history of the inn, although it is known to advertised for sale in 1810. By the mid-C19 the inn had become associated with Surfleet Brewery, which had been constructed to the south and west of the inn (see MLI126055). As part of the establishment of a brewery on site, a new principal frontage to the public house was constructed, fronting Gosberton Road to its east. Further alterations were made with the early 20th century conversion to a roadhouse, and in the later 20th century, when the interior was largely modernised, although some early fixtures and fittings still survive. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate entry in the National Heritage List for England. {1}{2} The buildings that comprise the inn were built in several phases. The oldest building was originally an early 18th century detached kitchen of an earlier building on the site and is now attached to the current inn. It is a small one room building with a barrel vaulted cellar and is constructed of English bond white-painted brick. The steeply pitched roof no longer conserves the original pantiles. The earliest phase of construction of the main inn buildings is from the early 19th century. This being composed of the original inn building and former detached stables. The original inn building, possibly dated to before the first mention of the inn in 1808, has an east-west orientation and is constructed of brick. The inn and stables were connected by a mid to late 19th century building and all three buildings were covered with one contiguous slate roof covering by the early 20th century; a further 20th century extension would connect these buildings even more. The former stables were also extended to the west in the mid to late 19th century and would be extended again in the 20th century. In the mid-19th century a new principal range was added to the south of the original inn building, shortly after the opening of the brewery in 1838; the detached 17th century kitchen was incorporated to this new range as a service quarters. The Smith family resided in the building complex from 1860 but did not open a public house, despite having a license, although the brewery continued to be in use. The brewery was completely demolished by 1939 and The Mermaid Inn opened as a public house in 1938-1939. The inn was located on the route that became in the 1920s the A16. {3}