100 Fascinating Facts About English Pubs

1. The pub, or public house, is a British institution dating back hundreds of years. The term originated from the Roman ‘tabernae,’ which morphed into ‘alehouse,’ ‘tavern,’ and then ‘pub.’
2. Pubs were originally places where people gathered to drink beer, brewed on the premises. Over time, they evolved into community centers, often offering food, lodging, and entertainment.
3. England’s oldest pub is believed to be Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, which dates back to the 8th century.
4. The title for the smallest pub in England is contested, but one of the contenders is The Nutshell in Bury St. Edmunds, which measures just 15ft by 7ft.
5. Many English pubs have quirky names like The Drunken Duck, The Hung Drawn and Quartered, and The Cat and the Fiddle.
6. Traditional English pubs often feature dark wooden furnishings, low ceilings, and open fireplaces.
7. Pubs are a significant part of British culture, and many important social events, like birthdays, retirements, and even funerals, are often held there.
8. British pubs serve a variety of drinks, but real ales and ciders are common staples.
9. The Royal Oak is the most common pub name in England, referring to the tree where King Charles II hid to escape the Roundheads during the English Civil War.
10. Many English pubs host events like pub quizzes, live music, and even theatrical performances.
11. Some pubs have their own ghosts! The Grenadier in London is said to be haunted by a former soldier.
12. A traditional British dish served in pubs is the “Ploughman’s Lunch,” consisting of cold, simple, hearty ingredients like cheese, bread, pickled onions, and apple.
13. Some pubs have ‘snug’ areas – small, private rooms within the pub.
14. The ‘lock-in’ is a practice where pub owners allow regular customers to continue drinking after legal closing hours while the doors are locked to outsiders.
15. Many pubs were historically coaching inns, providing lodging, food, and a change of horses for travelers.
16. Some English pubs still have historic features such as ‘spit and sawdust’ floors, originally designed for easy cleaning.
17. In the UK, the ‘toasting fork’ is a long-handled fork used to toast bread over an open fire in a pub.
18. There’s a tradition of ‘pub games’ in English pubs, such as darts, billiards, or dominoes.
19. Pubs often serve as the finish line for traditional events, like morris dancing or the annual cheese rolling competition in Gloucestershire.
20. Many pubs are owned by breweries and are called ‘tied houses’ because they are tied to selling the brewery’s beer.
21. Pub signs are a classic feature of English pubs. Historically, these pictorial signs were used to identify the pub for those who couldn’t read.
22. In some parts of England, you can still find ‘ale-tasters’ – officials appointed by the local council to ensure the quality of beer in pubs.
23. The George Inn in London is the city’s last remaining galleried coaching inn. It was mentioned in Charles Dickens’ novel, ‘Little Dorrit.’
24. British pub owners are called ‘publicans.’
25. In many pubs, patrons often bring their own food, especially on Sundays, when hot meat sandwiches are available.
26. Shepherd Neame in Kent, England, founded in 1698, is Britain’s oldest brewer and has a network of pubs across South East England.
27. The tradition of ‘tossing the boss’ involves patrons flipping a coin to determine who will buy the next round.
28. In the past, some English pubs used to accept ‘pub checks,’ a type of currency for beer when cash was scarce.
29. The tradition of ‘striking the bar counter’ with a coin means you’re offering to buy a round of drinks.
30. ‘Time, gentlemen, please!’ is a traditional call for last orders before closing time.
31. Many pubs serve ‘Sunday roast,’ a traditional British meal consisting of roasted meat, roast potato, and accompaniments like Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, and gravy.
32. Pubs often have a ‘house ale,’ a beer particular to that establishment.
33. Some pubs still maintain the tradition of ‘calling time,’ ringing a bell 20 minutes before closing time.
34. Traditional English pubs can be distinguished by their ‘pub carpets,’ each with unique, often complex patterns.
35. The Eagle in Cambridge is known for its ‘RAF Bar,’ where airmen burned their names into the ceiling during WWII.
36. The ‘Cocktail Bar’ movement in the late 20th century led to many pubs diversifying their drink offerings to include a wide variety of cocktails.
37. There are around 47,600 pubs in the UK as of 2021.
38. Many pubs have ‘beer gardens’ – outdoor areas where people can sit and drink.
39. Some pubs have resident pets, most often cats and dogs.
40. A ‘pub crawl’ is a popular activity involving moving from pub to pub in a single night, usually with a group of people.
41. The British TV series ‘Midsomer Murders’ has its own ‘real ale,’ produced by the Oxfordshire-based Loose Cannon Brewery, and is available in some English pubs.
42. ‘Doom Bar’ is one of the UK’s best-selling ales, named after the dangerous sandbank in the Camel Estuary in Cornwall.
43. ‘Pub grub,’ or pub food, has risen in quality in recent years, with many pubs now offering gourmet meals.
44. Many English pubs offer ‘Bed & Breakfast’ accommodations.
45. There’s a tradition of ‘naming and shaming’ in pubs where customers who don’t pay their debts might have their names written on a blackboard.
46. The Seven Stars pub in London has a resident cat named Tom Paine who often wears a ruff.
47. ‘Cribbage,’ a card game invented in the 17th century, is traditionally played in pubs.
48. The ‘World’s Biggest Liar’ competition takes place annually at The Bridge Inn pub in Cumbria.
49. In British pubs, tipping bartenders is not a common practice.
50. Some pubs in England still follow the ‘UK licensing laws,’ which used to dictate pubs could only open at ‘permitted hours’ during the day.
51. Some pubs in England have microbreweries on-site, producing unique, house-made beers.
52. The highest pub in England is the Tan Hill Inn in North Yorkshire, located 1,732 feet above sea level.
53. The Masons Arms pub in Devon has an indoor skittle alley – a traditional pub game similar to bowling.
54. Sam Smith’s, a brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, runs over 200 pubs across the UK.
55. Many pubs support local sports teams and will often have a team participating in local pub leagues for darts, pool, or other sports.
56. Some traditional pubs have ‘off-sales’ counters where customers can buy beer to take away.
57. Pubs have often played a central role in popular British TV shows, like The Queen Vic in ‘EastEnders’ and The Rover’s Return in ‘Coronation Street.’
58. In the 19th century, gin palaces were popular, and some pubs still bear decorative elements from this period, such as etched glass and ornate bar fittings.
59. Many English pubs are preserved and protected by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and other conservation organizations.
60. English pubs often serve as a hub for local charitable events and fundraisers.
61. Some pubs have their own teams for ‘tug-of-war,’ a traditional sport that involves pulling the opposing team over a central line.
62. Some pubs offer traditional ‘Afternoon Tea,’ with sandwiches, cakes, and a pot of tea.
63. The ‘Bull and Bush’ pub in Hampstead, London, started its life as a rest stop for Londoners walking out to the countryside.
64. Some pubs, like The Churchill Arms in London, display impressive seasonal decorations, particularly during Christmas.
65. Many pubs are named after local landmarks or historical events.
66. The Lamb & Flag in Covent Garden, once frequented by Charles Dickens, was known for bare-knuckle fighting in the 19th century.
67. The Windsor Castle pub in Kensington has its own ‘secret garden.’
68. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms in Liverpool is one of the most ornate pubs in England, known for its luxurious interior and musical heritage.
69. The Dove in Hammersmith has the smallest bar room in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
70. In many pubs, the ‘landlord’ or ‘landlady’ lives on the premises.
71. Some English pubs, like The Prospect of Whitby in London, were notorious hangouts for smugglers and pirates.
72. ‘Gastropubs’ – a hybrid of pub and restaurant – have been a rising trend since the 1990s, known for serving high-quality food.
73. The Black Friar in London is renowned for its Art Nouveau decor.
74. Some pubs have ‘theatre bars’ or rooms for staging plays or comedy shows.
75. ‘Beer festivals’ are popular events hosted by pubs, where a variety of ales and ciders are served.
76. ‘Ale stones,’ stones with a certain number of notches, were used in medieval times to keep track of the drinks consumed for paying later.
77. ‘Skittles,’ a traditional game involving wooden pins and a ball, is still played in some pubs.
78. Pubs like The Spaniards Inn on Hampstead Heath have appeared in various works of literature.
79. Many coastal pubs used to display shipwrecked items, which were bought from wreckers.
80. The Old Bailey, the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, was built on the site of a notorious prison next to a pub.
81. A number of ‘brewpubs’ – pubs that brew their own beer on the premises – have opened across the country in recent years.
82. Some pubs offer ‘beer and food pairing’ menus.
83. Many English pubs host live ‘folk music’ nights, preserving the tradition of folk songs and tunes.
84. Pubs like The Holly Bush in Hampstead are located in historic buildings, adding to their charm.
85. The Angel, a pub in London’s Islington district, gave its name to a tube station and the surrounding area.
86. The Saracens Head in Kings Langley is said to have inspired the tavern described in Charles Dickens’ novel ‘The Pickwick Papers.’
87. ‘Cask Marque’ is a voluntary accreditation scheme for pubs serving cask ale.
88. The Mayflower pub in Rotherhithe, London, is named after the ship that took the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World.
89. Some traditional pubs have ‘hatch bars,’ a small opening in the wall to serve customers without them entering the main bar area.
90. The Ravensbourne Arms in Lewisham is one of several pubs that have been used as polling stations.
91. Some pubs offer ‘real cider,’ traditionally made from apples without the use of concentrate.
92. ‘Pub theatres’ are an important part of the London fringe theatre scene, with performances held in pub function rooms or even on the pub floor.
93. Many pubs were rebuilt in the Victorian era, gaining elaborate tiled interiors and large pane windows.
94. The tradition of the ‘lock-in’ started during the Second World War, to allow drinkers to remain during the compulsory early closing time.
95. The tradition of ‘wassailing’ in cider-producing regions involves singing to apple trees in a pub’s orchard to promote a good harvest.
96. ‘Pub rock,’ a genre of rock music, originated in the early 1970s in the UK, with performances often held in pubs.
97. Some pubs, like The Mitre in Oxford, claim to have their own secret tunnels.
98. The ‘public bar’ and ‘saloon bar’ in a pub were traditionally separate: the public bar was cheaper and less comfortable.
99. The Prince of Wales in Kenfig, South Wales, is partially buried under sand dunes, with only the upper floor and chimneys visible.
100. The Eagle, a pub in Cambridge, has a ‘DNA Ceiling,’ where Francis Crick and James Watson reportedly announced they had discovered the ‘secret of life’ (DNA structure) in 1953.

Originally posted 2023-09-21 21:16:17.

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