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England’s oldest pubs: Our expert sorts the genuine contenders from the imitations
More than a dozen pubs around the country claim to be the most venerable in the land. Are any of them right?
Historic pubs tend to have certain characteristics. Acres of dark wood, including beams; cask ale; elderly trinkets hanging from the walls and ceilings; and, most fundamental of all, a (possibly spurious) history stretching back to the time of the Tudors – and further, if at all possible.
As the dates listed on their facades demonstrate, lots of English pubs claim to be very old. The true elite even claim to be the oldest English pub of all. Spend five minutes researching “England’s oldest pub”, and you’ll be rendered dizzy by wild claims and wilder counter-claims, with more than a dozen pubs around the country contesting the crown.
It’s easy to be cynical, but we can understand why pubs do this. Theinstitution of the pub is a link with England’s history, and the further a pub’s roots extend into that history the better. When a pub claims it is the oldest in England, what it’s really saying is that it’s the keeper of England’s flame, the beery essence of more than 1,000 years of tradition.
Plenty of these claims are at best impossible to substantiate, and at worst clearly false, as author James Wright pointed out in his excellent 2024 book,Historic Building Mythbusting: Uncovering Folklore, History and Archaeology. Any pub that claims to have been established before the 18th century deserves scepticism; tellingly, Guinness World Records retired its “Oldest Pub in the World” category in 2000 because it proved so hard to assess the competing claims.
And even if the pub is genuinely ancient, it’s no use if it has lost all of its historic character. You’re much better off in a pub with an authentic 1920s interior than one with a fake Tudor one. All that said, six of England’s most avowedly elderly inns made my guide tothe 500 Best Pubs in England. Here’s how their credentials stack up, from youngest to oldest:
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham
Perhaps the most famous of England’s “oldest” pubs,Ye Olde Trip leans hard into theolde stuff. “The Oldest Inn in England”, it reads on the facade, “1189AD”. Is there any evidence for this? Not really, unless you count the decorative suit of armour inside, incongruously dressed in a “Ye Olde Trip” hoodie the last time I visited. This pub feels old because part of it is carved out of the rock face behind, but it first appeared on a map in 1744. It’s probably not even the oldest pub in Nottingham, given The Bell Inn dates back to the 15th century.
Ye Olde Rating: 6/10
Probably not even Nottingham’s oldest pub.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, London
The current owners ofthis very famous Fleet Street pub claim “a pub has stood here” since 1538 – which is possible, although the building dates from the late 17th century. Rebuilt after the Great Fire of London, its greatest treasure is the front bar, described in the excellentLicensed To Sell: The History and Heritage of The Public House, as “perhaps our closest approximation to a 17th-century tavern.”
Ye Olde Rating: 7/10
Old for London, but not for England.
The Royal Standard of England, Buckinghamshire
The Royal Standard’s web address istheoldestpub.com, and a lengthy history on the pub’s website claims it is over 1,000 years old. When I visited recently, this impression of great antiquity was reinforced by the atmosphere: medieval flourishes here, a huge fireplace there, a genial old geezer kitted out in rustic garb behind the bar. But the building itself is unlisted – not a great sign for an apparently historic pub – and probably dates to the early modern period, at least 500 years after its claimed opening.
Ye Olde Rating: 7/10
Tries its best, but claims are hard to believe.
The Lamb, Eastbourne
“One of the oldest pubs in England” is how brewer Harvey’s, which ownsThe Lamb, modestly describes this delightful Eastbourne pub. It seems a fair shout, even if the date on the pub sign – 1180AD – is hard to believe. The timber-framed structure itself dates from the 16th century, although the undercroft is medieval; whether this was an inn that far back, though, is impossible to say. It’s a charismatic place, especially given persistent rumours about secret tunnels emanating out from the cellar, apparently once used for smuggling.
Ye Olde Rating: 8/10
Some of it is medieval (but not all).
The King’s Head, Aylesbury
The King’s Head – in direct contradiction of the Royal Standard of England – declares itself the oldest pub in Buckinghamshire. Controversial stuff. It’s on pretty firm ground, though: this is one of a handful of remaining inns, a precursor to what we call the pub. First mentioned in print in 1455, it may even be a little older. If you’re in the market for an olde Aylesbury pub, you could do a lot worse.
Ye Olde Rating: 9/10
Genuinely historic.
The George Inn, Somerset
Like the King’s Head,The George Inn has solid evidence to back up its claims of antiquity. Stylistically, boffins say, part of its front range is late 14th century. So is it the oldest public house in the country? “Possibly maybe,” according to James Wright. It’s a tremendously beautiful building either way, although the fact that drinkers are now corralled into a barn at the back, as I discovered when I visited earlier this year, does take the edge off.
Ye Olde Rating: 10/10
Probably England’s oldest (despite the barn).
