17th or possibly 16th century Inn.

DOE survey of No 1 St John's Street (Headgate Hotel). Grade II. C17 with later front of 3 storeys, painted brick, parapet, 2 window range of double hung sashes, 3 lights with glazing bars, ground floor public house rooms. The roofs are tiled. At the rear is a long wing extending south with the upper storey projecting on the west on carved brackets. <1>

An Inn licence was granted to Thomas Benne of Colchester, a yeoman, in or around the year 1620. (An article in a local newspaper states that the pub dates from 1563, although this is uncorroborated.<2>