The humble British pub has been around since 43AD…
During this period, pubs have continually evolved and, in so doing, given us one of the most accurate and fascinating insights into our history that you’ll find anywhere.
Some of history’s most groundbreaking events have started and ended in the pub, and the significance of the traditional English pub should never be underestimated. It offers a unique social centre where people of all backgrounds come together to indulge in the mutual act of drinking and socialising. Everyone is equal in the pub, and for thousands of years, it has provided the backdrop for all significant events, both locally and nationally.
Where Did The Pub Originate From?
The traditional British pub dates back nearly 2,000 years to Roman times when invading Roman armies introduced Italian ‘tabernae’ into this country to quench the thirst of their troops with wine. Wine was soon replaced with beer, and tabernae became taverns, which later evolved into what we now know as the pub.
As time passed, pubs and ale houses provided guests with food and drink while inns offered accommodation to weary travellers. The stagecoach era ushered in a new phase for the British pub as coaching inns were established along strategic routes up and down the country.
This was when pubs were often divided into sections to cater to different classes of clientele. The snug offered a private space (particularly for ladies) for those being transported (and where the drinks cost more!), and the public bar was where the stagecoach drivers could enjoy a drink or two, separate from their passengers.
Where Are The Oldest Pubs In England?
Many historians have argued over a pint in the pub about which hostelries are the oldest in the country, so this isn’t a definitive list, but it gives an idea of the contenders for the oldest pubs in England!
- Old Ferry Boat Inn, St Ives, Cambridgeshire, 560AD
- The Porch House, Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds, 947AD
- The George Hotel of Stamford, Lincolnshire, 950AD
- Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottinghamshire, 1189AD
- Ye Olde Man and Scythe, Bolton, Lancashire, 1251AD
How Have Pubs Been Involved In History?
One of the recorded oldest pubs in England, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, is thought to have been used as a recruitment centre for volunteers to join Richard I’s army on their Crusades to the Holy Land.
It is believed that Guy Fawkes and his supporters used the room above the pub, The Olde Coach House, in Northamptonshire, to plan the infamous Gunpowder Plot in 1605.
One of Mary Queen of Scots’s final sightings was at the Talbot Hotel in Oundle, Northamptonshire. She allegedly descended the stairs here on the day of her execution in 1587.
The White Hart in Overton, Hampshire, is where Lt John Lapenotiere changed horses on his journey on 5 November 1805 to tell people the news of the Battle of Trafalgar and Lord Nelson’s death.
The White Hart Royal in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, is notoriously known as the hotel where King Charles I stayed in 1644 and left without paying his bill. Whether this is because he’d had too much to drink and forgot to pay remains to be proven…
The pub has undoubtedly played an integral role in England’s cultural history, and visiting these ancient hostelries offers guests a unique and informative history lesson. There’s never been a better excuse for a pub crawl—it’s educational!