England's Oldest Pubs

Originally hailing from Nottingham, I would of course tell you that the oldest pub in the country is 'Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem'.

After all, it says so in big bold letters on the side of the pub.

But upon a bit more investigation it isn't quite so clear-cut.  I decided to visit some of the most prominent claimants; safe in the knowledge that having done so I'd still be none to wiser as to which really is the oldest.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham

Claim:  According to signage on the side of the pub, it is "the oldest inn in England" and dates back to 1187.

Evidence: Archaeological digs have shown that the caves to the rear of the pub were used for brewing beer
In reality... The date of 1187 appears to be plucked from the history books, being the date when Richard the Lionheart ascended the throne.  The connection being the legend that crusader knights stopped here en-route to the Holy Lands.
Whilst beer is likely to have been brewed in the caves, there is no evidence that an inn of any kind was attached to this.
Parts of the current Trip date back to the mid 1600's and the first evidence of its existence is an appearance on a 1610 map of Nottingham.

I've spent many a happy hour in this great pub.
It's age may be dubious, but if you snag a seat in the ground floor Ward room, partly within the sandstone rocks, you're basically drinking in a cave. 
And what could be more medieval than that?!

The Old Man & Scythe, Bolton, Greater Manchester
Claim:  Dates back to at least the year 1251
Evidence: A Royal Charter from that year, permitting the market to be held here, mentions the pub by name.

The current building is mostly a 20th century affair with a mock Tudor frontage.  A date-stone inside the pub suggests it was re-erected in 1636, with some of the current wooden beams apparently originating from this date whilst the cellar beneath is older.  Along with the written mention, it's safe to agree there's been a pub here for a helluva long time.

This is a pub that is full of character, with multiple dimly lit rooms, old fireplaces and creaking wooden beams.  It's certainly got an 'oldest pub in town' feel about it, although a '90's grunge and hard rock soundtrack featuring Megadeth and Foo Fighters wasn't assisting ye olde pub vibes when I visited!

An autumn 2019 trip to Norwich gave me the chance to visit another oldest pub claimant, just beating the Old Man & Scythe by 2 years...

Showing modest confidence...
"Probably" the oldest public house in Norwich

Adam & Eve, Norwich, Norfolk
Claim:  There has been a pub on the site since at least 1249
Evidence: It's said there are records which date back to the time Norwich Cathedral was being built when the workmen received bread, ale and lodgings at the inn.

The present red brick and flint building looks to have originated in the 16th century but has, of course, changed much over the years.  A section of an old cellar wall and the brewing well appear to be part of a much older structure.

Turning up just after opening time I had the place all to myself - even the staff disappeared into some distant room, leaving me in the company of Radio Norwich whilst supping my pint of Wolf Brewery beer.
Big wooden benches, stone floors and beamed ceiling give it quite a country-pub ambiance.

The bar was only installed in 1971.  Prior to this jugs of ale would be brought up from wooden casks in the cellar.

Next, we're moving into Buckinghamshire, where a 2020 pub ramble took me to a pub that appeared in the Domesday Book...

The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire
Claim:  "The Oldest Freehouse in England" is proudly displayed at the top of their website.
Plus they're confident enough to have www.theoldestpub.com as their web address.
Evidence: Mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 as an alehouse called the Ship Inn.

The Royal Standard claims to have a very colourful history, described in much detail on their web pages.
Over the years Charles I may have hid in a priest hole here and Charles II is reputed to have met his mistress in secret at the inn.  Not to mention the highwaymen and ghosts and modern day appearances in TV shows and movies.

With a good range of ales and various different rooms, alcoves and snugs in which to settle, this is a pub well worth visiting.
Although it faces some stiff competition to that oldest pub claim.

The next four pubs claim that their origins date back even further than the Domesday Book, back to times when you only needed three digits to write the year...

The Porch House, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

Claim: Dates back to the year 947
Evidence: During alterations in the early 1970's some timbers were carbon dated to 50 years either side of 1000AD.  That's some old wood.

The older half of The Porch House, Stow-on-the-Wold.

Historians believe that part of the building was once a hospice built by order of Aethelmar, Duke of Cornwall in 947AD.  The stone building was erected in the 16th century incorporating the original Saxon timber construction.

An old building it may be, but it doesn't appear to have been a pub for that long, which some would say disqualifies it from any claims as England's oldest inn.
It became the Eagle & Child pub in the heady modern days of the 1700's.  By the middle of the 19th century the building was turned into two houses, the Porch House and Holmlea, before being converted to a hotel around 1970.

I looked forward to visiting all the pubs on this page... except this one.
...hotel and foodie pub in a Cotswold tourist mecca?  Urk!
But, sneaking in at midday before the dining crowd, this turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable visit.
There are various extensions and modern-looking dining rooms, but the bar to the right of the entrance retains some simplistic character, with flagstone floors and low beamed ceiling.

The staff were friendly and happy to chat about the pub history, with one chap insisted on taking us through to the dining room to see the 16th century fireplace with it's symbols to ward off witches. 

Witch warding marks not very photogenic

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Claim:  Dates back to the year 793
Evidence: A one-time Guinness book of records entrant, a sign on the wall tells us that the building dates to 1100 and was then re-erected, built on the 793 foundations of the Palace of Offa, King of the Mercians.

In reality... Trouble is, there are no clear rules about this oldest pub lark.  In my humble opinion, the pub doesn't date back to 793 - the palace that used to be situated here does.
As with the Porch House, there's also the issue that the building hasn't always been a pub, whereas others on this page can boast many more years history of serving ale.  The first records of this being a pub are from 1756.
There are a fair few doubters out there.  This article goes to great lengths to dispute its age.

More of my pictures and waffle about Ye Olde Fighting Cocks from my Spring 2019 visit here. 

All of which brings us, arguably, to the two most serious contenders...

The Old Ferryboat Inn, Holywell, Cambridgeshire

Claim:  According to their website, "This thatched white stone inn is said to be the oldest in England.  There are even records of drinks being sold here as early as 560 AD".
Evidence: Herein lies the problem.
In reality...Historians have struggled to put an accurate age on the building or to verify claims that the foundations are Anglo-Saxon.
Although a ferry crossing would be an ideal spot for an inn there is - unsurprisingly - little evidence dating back this far.  Pub tickers with spreadsheets were few and far between in those days.

As with the Royal Standard, there is mention of a pub at this location in the Domesday Book, so even if it's not quite as old as that remarkable claim, it's still right up there in contention as the countries oldest inn.
A foundation stone on the site places the present building at 1400AD.

We visited the Old Ferryboat on a sunny Bank Holiday, walking along the Ouse from St Ives (more about that and more pictures here).  It's a nice enough pub in a charming location, with a fine ghost story attached to it.  But did it feel like you were stepping into a pub that could be 1400-or-so years old?  Nah, not really.

So, finally...

Bingley Arms, Bardsey, West Yorkshire
Claim:  Dating back to somewhere between 905-953.  According to the website their 1000 years of history make it "officially the oldest in Britain".
Evidence: Recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.  It's the oldest inhabited inn and brewhouse with a complete set of records detailing all the brewers and innkeepers since 1000AD.   
  
The pub used to be known as the Priests Inn, as it was on the route between Kirkstall Abbey and York and made for a convenient spot for those holy folk to be fed and watered and rested.   And the pub had a priests hole in the chimney to hide 'em when they became less popular after the dissolution of the monasteries.

The Dutch oven dates back to 1783 and is one of the few
remaining in it's original location.

This was the last of the pubs I visited on this 'oldest pubs' quest. 
And quite appropriate if I had indeed finished at the oldest of the lot.
As with everywhere on this list, it's had a rebuild or two since those early origins and is now very much a 19th century affair.  There are a couple of smart dining rooms, one of which the staff tried to usher us into before we asked to sit in the more traditional bar.  

The Trip to Jerusalem and it's "oldest inn in England" sparked an interest in me which took me around eight pubs in eight counties.
I still don't know which is really the oldest in the land.
But I did enjoy visiting them all in my half-arsed attempt to find out.

If there are any other old pub claimants that I've glaringly missed, or any facts that I've got horribly wrong, do let me know.  There usually are!