This paper describes a flow past a circular cylinder whose one end is set on a flat plate and the other free end is immersed in a shear flow. The surface pressure distribution on the cylinder was measured and drag coefficients were determined by integration of the result. Experimental results for a shear flow were compared with those for a uniform stream. The main results are as follows : (1) The effect of the free end is limited to within 3d from the top of the cylinder. (2) The local drag coefficient divided by local dynamic pressure increases from the neighborhood of the top to the bottom of the cylinder as the length to diameter ratio and the velocity gradient increase. (3) In the wake of the cylinder, the velocity of the center portion of the wake, which is accelerated by the downwash, is larger than the local mean velocity.