Pubology
“A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there’s more conversation.”
The term “Pub” developed from the “public house” during the late 19th century.
Pubs were but one type of institution (also known as an “ale house”), alongside the earlier coaching inns (which provided accommodation to travelers) and taverns (focused more on wine and food).
As you’ll see, some pubs still retain the name “inn” or “tavern,” but those titles rarely signify what they once did.
By the Victorian era, “public house” or “pub” were fairly catch-all terms and could be used to refer to any of these establishments.
England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are covered in pubs. Lacking the negative stigma of a “bar,” pubs are widely frequented by nearly everyone.
As I’ve lamented before, we have no “pub culture” in the USA and this is due in no small part to the fact that we lack the magical old buildings ubiquitous across these countries.
But having a great building is just part of the equation, you also have to have an amazing pub name and equally impressive signage to go along with that name.
In fact, there may be no more important task than choosing a great pub name.
So, let’s take a look at some of the amazing pubs we came across during our ten months of traveling around the UK.
Pubs ‘n’ Animals…
Many pubs are named after animals, like your simple how now Brown Cow (Cockermouth, Lake District, England)
How about some Flying Fleece? (Ambleside, Lake District, England)
Perhaps you don’t really need flying fleece, when The Golden Fleece is really what you’re after. (York, England)
With all the fleece—flying, golden, or otherwise—you’re going to need The Linen Weaver so you can start warping and wefting all that wool yarn. (Yeah, I know, linen is not wool, but I’ve only go so much material (😊) to work with here.) (Cork, Ireland)
Maybe The Goat Tavern is more to your liking than sheep? (Mayfair, London, England)
Or maybe you want to elevate things, like The Eagle Inn—which apparently includes “brilliant banter” at no extra charge. (Dunbar, Scotland)
Would you prefer The Falcon Inn? (Skipton, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England)
The Raven is quite beloved in England. Their presence at the Tower of London is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower. (Bath, England)
In keeping with the bird theme, there is also The Parrot. Geoffrey Chaucer makes mention of the initiative powers of parrots in his Canterbury Tales, so perhaps this is where the name originates? (Canterbury, England)
Maybe you’re looking for something more substantial and dangerous and threatening—like a Green Dragon. (Bellow Hill, Hardraw, Hawes, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England)
Sometimes pubs prefer a regal animal like the White Lion (Ambleside, Lake District, England)
Or the rarest of all highland creatures, The White Hart (Grassmarket Square, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Another unusual animal is the elusive and almost mythological Black Fox. Is it just me or is the building leaning like Gringott’s Wizarding Bank? (Bath, England)
But it could also be an annoying animal like the ever-so-obnoxious Snooty Fox… (Tetbury, The Cotswolds, England)
…or a very naughty Drunken Duck. (Ambleside, Lake District, England)
Sometimes pub names are so bazaar, you don’t know what to say, except for perhaps, “Is that a ferret in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” (St Ives, Cornwall)
Maybe a Pickled Frog or two is the order of the day? (Salisbury, England)
No pickled frog? Maybe a Bristly Hog instead? OK, this is a coffee “hous,” but with a name like The Bristly Hog, deep down they secretly desire to be a pub. I’m including it because—to paraphrase Brian Regan—it amuses me! ( Kendal, Lake District, England)
Perhaps you’re only looking for part of the animal, say a Haunch of Venison… (Salisbury, England)
…and, if you’re after a haunch of venison, then you’re going to need The Chopping Block (complete with a butcher’s cleaver). (York, England)
Or maybe you’re in one of those moods where you just have a hankerin’ for some Sheep Heid. (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Niche Pubs
Maybe you’re just a Plain Jane looking for some basic grub—presenting The Grog & Gruel. Grog is a term used for a variety of alcoholic beverages and gruel is essentially porridge, but here probably refers to a wide range of food. (Fort William, Scotland)
Perhaps you’ve watched Lord of the Rings one too many times and so you’re longing for the perfect pub to suit your inner Orc. Then perhaps The Sword Inn will be to your liking. (Gloucester, England)
Maybe you’re into pretty golden slippers. 🤔 Step inside The Golden Slipper pub. (York, England)
Maybe you’ve watched too many episodes of Locke & Key, so you’re looking for a place like Cross Keys. (York, England)
Perhaps you have a predilection for blue balls—I mean bells. Well then, The Blue Bell is the place for you. (York, England)
Maybe you’re into cosplay. Welcome to the Wig and Quill. (Salisbury, England)
Pubs ‘n’ People
Adam and Eve (London, England)
We loved the ornate Victorian Façade at The Duchess of Cambridge, which faces the walls of Windsor Palace. We had two great “last” dinners here: one with Will, and the other with Debbie & Nathan. Great memories! (Windsor, England)
Even the poor martyred Thomas Becket needs a pub named after him. (Canterbury, England)
As long as we’re casting a wide net when naming pubs, why not celebrate the notorious scoundrel and the inspiration behind Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern? (The Royal Mile, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Or walk just up the hill a tad and celebrate a true hero: Ensign Ewart—the Scottish soldier of the Royal North British Dragoons (Scots Greys), famous for capturing the regimental eagle from the French 45th Regiment at the Battle of Waterloo. (The Royal Mile, Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Or simply celebrate all those less-than-stellar relationships in your life at The Poor Relation. (Cork, Ireland)
Pubs ‘n’ Puns
(Stirling, Scotland)
They’re holding pretty tightly to the ploughing theme here, but the Scots are a clever lot and can’t be blind to the double entendre. (Keith, Scotland)
Dating back to the early 16th century, The New Inn is anything but new. It is one of Salisbury’s oldest buildings, and the interior is dark wood, low-beamed ceilings, and open fires—simply magical, especially on a cold winter’s day, like when we visited with Will.
Pubs ‘n’ Locations
Some pubs are named after their very famous neighbor, like The Original Rosslyn Inn that stands near Rosslyn Chapel. (Roslin, Scotland)
Some pubs have absolutely no neighbors, other than a lot of randy rabbits living and multiplying in their warrens surrounding the desolate Warren House Inn. (Postbridge, Dartmoor National Park, Devon, England)
The Warren House Inn may be the highest Inn in Southern England, but it’s older brother, the Tan Hill Inn, is the highest Inn in all of England. (Yorkshire Dales National Park)
Or maybe you’re the Boots Bar, sitting in the shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, where mountaineers have dragged their muddy boots inside to knock back a few drinks and recount tales of their exploits on the mountain. (Clachaig Inn, Glencoe, Scotland)
The Conan Doyle pub sits directly across the street from 11 Picardy Place—where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born, and adjacent to St Mary’s Cathedral—were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was baptized. (Top of Leith Walk, Edinburgh, Scotland)
After a very taxing hike across Striding Edge and up the summit of Helvellyn, you’ll require a good Travellers Rest. (Glenridding, The Lake District, England)
Back in the 16th century, the city of Edinburgh was a walled city and you could only enter and leave through fortified gates. The World’s End Pub is situated at the site of one such gate—Canongate. In fact, the foundation of the pub includes part of the old city wall. As far as the people of Edinburgh were concerned, outside of these gates was no longer their world. Hence, the pub’s name and logo. (On The Royal Mile, where Canongate becomes High Street—because Canongate was outside the wall and the High Street began inside the wall, Edinburgh, Scotland)
The Last Drop is a rather macabre but clever play on words. During the 18th century, the area around the pub was home to one of the city’s main gallows, with crowds regularly gathering to watch public executions. Rumor has it that this pub is where men who had been sentenced were taken for their last meal while the gallows were prepared for them outside. Besides the two obvious meanings, the name also refers to the last hanging held in the Grassmarket in 1864. (Grassmarket Square, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Pubs ‘n’ Stories
Like the story written by the literal literary legend Geoffrey Chaucer: Canterbury Tales (Canterbury, England)
From Chaucer to Dickens—Charles Dickens and his chums used to knock tankards together inside The Lamb and Flag. The pub acquired a reputation in the early nineteenth century for staging bare-knuckle prize fights, earning it the nickname The Bucket of Blood, and the alleyway beside the pub was the scene of an attack on the poet John Dryden in 1679. (Covent Garden, London, England)
The Old Bell (aka Ye Olde Bell Inn) is located among the cobbled streets of the historical town of Rye and was built in 1390. Yep, 1390!
The story of The Old Bell’s name originates from a French raid in 1377 that resulted in the theft of the bells from Rye’s St Mary’s Church. Much of this loot was recovered the following year when Rye and Winchelsea men sailed to France and returned with the church bells and other stolen items.
As if that weren’t enough, The Old Bell was also used for smuggling by the infamous Hawkhurst Gang in the 1730s and 1740s, who moved goods through a revolving cupboard in the Old Bell, along a secret tunnel, and into the nearby Mermaid Inn for a quick getaway. How great is it, then, to hang out in places with stories like this?
The name Tolbooth Tavern tells its own story. This pub is part of the original Canongate Tolbooth, which was built in 1591 to collect tolls from travelers entering the burgh. Today it is a rather magnificent place for a pint or a wee dram.
A tun is an archaic term for large casks used to store beer or wine. It was also an imperial measure of capacity, equal to exactly four hogsheads. How’s that for a story? So The Three Tuns equals 12 hogsheads? Exactly! (Canterbury, England)
Somebody better have an astonishingly good backstory in order to still retain the name Black Boy Inn (Caernarfon, Wales)
Pubs ‘n’ Legends
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is ancient pub built in 1189 into stone caves directly underneath Nottingham Castle. The name refers to King Richard the Lionheart and his men who congregated here before embarking on the Crusades in Jerusalem.
Inside Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is the antique chair behind Amanda’s Guinness, which is said to enhance a woman's chances of getting pregnant after sitting in it. However, the chair is believed to have lost its powers after so many people sitting in it and is now too weak to withstand the demand (regardless, they still won’t let you give it a whirl).
The model galleon encased in glass above the bar is covered in years of dust and cobwebs also rests inside Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem. No one will clean the galleon because it is cursed: "The last three people who have cleaned it are said to have died mysterious and unexpected deaths within 12 months of doing so."
Inside The World’s End in Edinburgh is this picture (above and below).
The picture is of an unknown murderer from the 1700s and has hung in this position for many years. Legend has it if you move the picture your world will end.
The alleged actual skeletal hand that was chopped off by a butcher after the man was caught cheating in a card game inside The Haunch of Venison in Salisbury, England.
Amanda’s Favorite Pub
Slàinte Mhath from Amanda’s favorite pub—The Parrot in Canterbury, England. Amanda chose this pub because it is so old and quirky inside.
The Parrot is not just the oldest pub in Canterbury, it is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Originally known as St Radigund's Hall, it was built on Roman foundations in 1370 just inside the Roman City Wall.
Despite the candle in this image, we were there in winter and they had open fires burning throughout the pub. Plus we were there with Will, so it holds special memories! ❤️
My Favorite Pub
Slàinte Mhath from the first pub where we had a pint—The Beehive Inn. (Grassmarket Square, Edinburgh, Scotland)
It’s really hard to pick a favorite. Several top finalists were Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (Nottingham), The New Inn (Salisbury), and the Green Dragon (Yorkshire Dales)—but I settled on The Haunch of Venison in Salisbury for four reasons:
The building has been around since about 1320, when it was used to house craftsmen working on the cathedral spire.
The supposed actual skeletal hand and its accompanying legend.
There is a "Horsebox" bar at the front of the pub, also referred as a "Ladies Snug" because it dates back to the times where public houses were for men only.
Winston Churchill and Dwight Eisenhower are said to have carried out some planning of the D-Day landings in the pub.
