Historic Pubs in Britain
Pubs in Britain
One of the great joys for foreign visitors to Britain is a visit to a pub. Public houses (pubs) are icons of British culture.
Real ale, open fires, snugs and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere are some of the things to look forward to on any visit to a British pub.
London has thousands of pubs, around 3,500, in fact and several very old ones.
Begin your tour of historic pubs in London before heading out to the Cotswolds, Devon, Kent and other areas of the country in search of the old.
Several pubs in the UK claim the title of the oldest pub in Britain. These include the The Old Ferry Boat Inn in Cambridgeshire, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans and the Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham. Candidates for the oldest pub in London include the Seven Stars in Holborn which escaped the Great Fire of London in 1666 and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, which was built soon after the fire.
George Inn, Southwark
The George Inn in Southwark is on Borough High Street on the south side of the River Thames near London Bridge.
The pub dates from the medieval period. Currently owned and leased by the National Trust, The George Inn is the only surviving galleried London coaching inn.
'The George' was one of many famous coaching inns in Charles Dickens' time. In fact, Dickens visited The George and referred to it in his novel Little Dorrit. William Shakespeare also visited as the Globe Theatre was nearby.
London Bridge on the Jubilee and Northern lines is the closest tube station. Further south is Borough on the Northern Line. Several London buses run along Borough High Street including the numbers 9, 35, 56, and 148.
75-77 Borough High Street, Southwark, London SE1 1NH
Tel: 020 7407 2056
Spaniards Inn, Hampstead
The Spaniards Inn near Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House in north London is an historic pub. The first pub here dates from 1585, in fact.
The place has many literary connections. Both the poets John Keats and Lord Byron were among the clientele. Indeed, Keats is said to have composed Ode to a Nightingale in the pleasant garden at the back.
Bram Stoker of Dracula fame found inspiration here and the artist Joshua Reynolds drank at The Spaniards, too. The pub is also famously mentioned in Charles Dickens' novel The Pickwick Papers.
The nearest tube stations are Golders Green and Archway both some distance away. Golders Green Station is about 20 minutes on foot. Archway Station also on the Northern Line is 40 minutes away walking past Highgate Cemetery.
Hampstead, London NW3 7JJ
Tel: 020 8731 8406
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
The Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of London in 1666. There has been a pub at this location since 1538. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is notable for its lack of natural lighting inside which produces a sort of gloomy charm.
Inside posted plaques show famous people who were once regulars in their day. Several famous literary figures are associated with the pub including: Mark Twain, Oliver Goldsmith, Alfred Tennyson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Dr. Samuel Johnson, who lived nearby.
Charles Dickens was also known to visit the establishment frequently and it was famously alluded to in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities.
The pub is currently operated by the Samuel Smith Brewery.
Blackfriars tube station is seven minutes on foot while the pub is even closer to City Thameslink Station.
Wine Office Court, 145 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2BU
Tel: 020 7353 6170
George Inn, Lacock
The George Inn at Lacock is located in a building which has been used as a pub since 1361. The pub maintains its historic feel with features such as low ceilings and uneven floors. One interesting feature at the George Inn is the turnspit dog wheel. The turnspit dog is an extinct breed that was trained to turn the wheel which was connected to a spit over an open fire that would rotate and cook the meat evenly. The open fireplace is still in use today and the spit can still be seen.
4 West Street, Lacock, Wiltshire SN15 2LH
George Inn, Norton St Philip
The George Inn at Norton St Philip has been in operation for over 700 years and claims to be Britain's oldest tavern, though there are quite a few other claimants to that title. The George Inn is a grade 1 listed building.
The inn was part of the stagecoach route between London and the southwest of England. The George Inn plays an important role in the history of Great Britain. During the Pitchfork Rebellion of June and July 1685, the Duke of Monmouth, who was the illegitimate son of Charles II, led a ragtag army of 8,000 locals armed with muskets, scythes and pitchforks against a professional army of his uncle James II. One supporter of the Duke was a young Daniel Defoe.
On the 26th of June, the Duke of Monmouth is said to have been shot at the George Inn. Subsequently, after his defeat at Sedgemoor, the Duke of Monmouth was caught and executed. Despite pleading for mercy, he was beheaded by the notorious executioner Jack Ketch at the Tower of London in a botched execution that took several blows to remove his head.
Norton St Philip, Bath, Somerset BA2 7LH
Lamb Inn, Burford
The Lamb Inn is a historic pub in the village of Burford in Oxfordshire with a renowned restaurant and bar serving contemporary English food with an award-winning list of real ales and fine wines. Many visitors compliment the excellent service on offer.
The Lamb Inn dates from the early 18th century and has 17 beautifully furnished rooms. The Lamb Inn was the winner of the Condé Nast Johansens 'Most Excellent Inn' Award for 2012 and is a recommended place to stay for visits to the Cotswolds or nearby Oxford.
Sheep Street, Burford, OX18 4LR
The Old Wellington Inn Manchester
The Old Wellington Inn in Shambles Square, close to Manchester Cathedral, is an historic pub in the city. The Old Wellington survived the Blitz in 1940 and the IRA bomb in 1996 to remain the only surviving Tudor building in the centre of Manchester.
It was once a draper's shop and the author John Byrom, famous for composing the Anglican hymn, was born here.
The pub was moved to its present location in the 1970's to make way for the Arndale Center development.
4 Cathedral Gates, Manchester M3 1SW
The Eagle, Cambridge
The Eagle on St. Bene't Street in central Cambridge is the second-oldest pub in this ancient university town and a very popular eating and drinking establishment. The frontage dates back to about 1600, and some of the timbers in the current structure date back to the 17th century, but the bulk of the building only dates back to the 19th century. The pub opened in 1667 and was a very popular coaching inn.
Popular with allied aircrews during World War II, a lot of the graffiti left by them is preserved in what is now known as the RAF Bar.
However, the biggest claim to fame for the Eagle is that it was where the discovery of the structure of DNA was announced to the world.
The Eagle was a popular lunchtime watering hole for many of the staff of the nearby Cavendish Laboratory. So it was here on the 28th February 1953 that Francis Crick announced that he and James Watson had "discovered the secret of life".
Bene't Street, Cambridge CB2 3QN
The Parrot, Canterbury
Medieval beams, oak floorboards and three open fires welcome you to The Parrot in Canterbury. The Parrot boasts well-cooked, flavoursome food and quality local cask ales. The Parrot is the oldest pub in Canterbury. In fact, The Parrot, which was built in the 15th century, is located in one of the oldest buildings in Canterbury. The Parrot's construction was contemporaneous with the construction of the famous Canterbury Cathedral towers a few hundred yards away. The Parrot pub was called Simple Simon's until 2008 but was originally called St Radigund's Hall. It was named after the monks of St Radigund at Bradsole near Dover.
1-9 Church Lane, St Radigans, Canterbury Kent, CT1 2AG
Red Lion, Lacock
The Red Lion in Lacock is both a pub and bed and breakfast. The Red Lion pub has a history that stretches over 200 years. It recently appeared as a shop in the BBC series, The Cranford Chronicles.
The village as a whole also appears in Downton Abbey, the Harry Potter movies, The Other Boleyn Girl, and various BBC dramas such as Moll Flanders, Wolf Hall, and Pride and Prejudice.
The pub lies within easy walking distance of Lacock Abbey, St Cyriac's Parish Church, the 15th-century tithe barn, and plenty of other village stores. It is located on the High Street in Lacock.
1 High Street, Lacock, Wiltshire SN15 2LQ
The Victoria, Chester
The Victoria pub in Chester is located right at The Cross in the ancient centre of the city. The Cross stands at the intersection of Chester's four main shopping streets: Bridge Street, Watergate Street, Northgate Street and Eastgate Street and is a popular rendezvous site.
The pub is located above ground level in a "Row" and has a lovely wooden interior. There is said to have been a pub on this site since 1269, though obviously, the name is much more recent. The cellar of the pub is located above the crypt of St. Peter's Church.
The Cross 2, Watergate Row, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2LD
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham is the city's oldest and is close to Nottingham Castle. The pub claims to have been established in 1189. The oldest parts of the present building date from the mid-17th century. The Trip is famous for its sandstone caves. Look out for the cursed galleon covered in grime in a glass case and the pregnancy chair, where if you sit you can increase your chances of childbirth.
1 Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham NG1 6AD
Ye Olde Kings Head
The Ye Olde Kings Head in Chester in the northwest of England is an historic pub with the building dating from 1622. The name is from King Charles II who stayed nearby in Gamul House during the English Civil War of the 1640s. The interior is atmospheric with oak-beamed ceilings and also old-wives' tales of a ghost.
48-50 Lower Bridge Street, Chester CH1 1RS
George Inn, Bathampton
The George Inn in Bathampton, Somerset was once a 13th-century monastery. Today, it's a Grade II listed, ivy-clad pub beside the Kennet and Avon Canal. The George Inn in Bathampton features a waterside location, delightful rural setting, and ample outdoor terrace. The George Inn boasts loads of character indoors, too. On chilly days, visitors can enjoy the low ceilings, nooks and crannies, and real log fires.
Mill Lane, Bathampton, Bath BA2 6TR
Golden Cross, Coventry
The Golden Cross in Coventry in the West Midlands is the oldest pub still operating in the city. It was built in 1583 during the reign of Elizabeth I and has been used as a public house since 1661. The pub has original Tudor features. The pub serves gluten free, traditional British food and a range of real ales and classic gins.
8 Hay Lane, Coventry CV1 5RF
Blue Anchor Helston
The Blue Anchor is a 15th century pub and brewery in the historic market town of Helston in Cornwall. Originally a monk's rest house, the building was turned into a tavern sometime in the 15th century and has been brewing and serving its own ale since then.
Spingo, the name of the ales brewed here, is believed to derive from a 17th century word, stingo, which meant strong beer. Currently three strengths of Spingo are made in an 18th century extension to the the original building, right next to a traditional skittle alley. Now a popular pub serving other types of alcohol and food.
50 Coinagehall Street, Helston TR13 8EL
New Inn Salisbury
The New Inn in Salisbury close to Salisbury Cathedral was once a row of medieval cottages for cathedral workers.
Becoming a pub in the 19th century, it now serves local real ales as well as excellent food. The walled garden has views on to the cathedral grounds and there are regular quiz nights with cash prizes. The pub also has a couple of modest double rooms for visitors.
41 New Street, Salisbury SP1 2PH
The Fitzroy Tavern
The Fitzroy Tavern in the Fitzrovia district of London is probably named after the Fitzroy family, the Dukes of Grafton, who owned much of the land here.
It opened first as a coffee house before becoming a pub in 1887, four years later. It was a regular watering hole for such artists and writers as George Orwell, Jacob Epstein, Nina Hamnett, Dylan Thomas, and Augustus John. It retains its Victorian interior which was tastefully refurbished in 2015.
16 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2NA
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