Pubs

Just as much a part of British culture as cups of tea is the humble pub. Pubs have existed in the UK for centuries, in fact, the history of British pubs can be traced back to the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons! The diarist, Samuel Pepys described pubs as being the Heart of England and it is rare to find a community without at least one pub in the vicinity.  

What is a pub? 

A pub – also known as a Public House, was first used to describe these buildings in the 17th century to differentiate private houses from those which were open to the public, such as ale houses, taverns and inns. Many of the UK’s pubs are centuries old and many have incredible stories associated with them, such as the Blind Beggar in London’s Whitechapel where gangster Ronnie Kray shot George Cornell, or the Ten Bells, also in the East End. Not only does being born within a few miles of the pub officially make you a cockney, but it is also one of the stops along the Jack the Ripper walk – supposedly several of the suspects drank there.  

History of pubs in the UK 

Pubs have had signs outside advertising their status as a drinking house since the 1390s when King Richard II declared it so. The law was to make alehouses and similar establishments easily visible to passing inspectors. In fact, William Shakespeare’s father was an inspector that visited alehouses in their locale.  

The UK’s oldest pubs 

A number of pubs claim to be the oldest in the UK. Many of them are the site of former pubs, but the building itself has been refurbished. The Guinness World Record for the oldest pub in England was awarded to Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albas, Hertfordshire because it is an 11th century building on an 8th century site.  

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham is England’s oldest inn, while parts of the Old Ferryboat Inn in Holywell is thought to date back to AD 460.