Pubs and Inns

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ALBERT DOCK

Albert Dock is Liverpool's famous Victorian dock area, originally built of iron, stone and brick, now fully restored and claiming to be the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the country. The complex includes car parking, hotels, shops, restaurants and several museums, including: Slavery Museum; Maritime Museum; Beatles Story; and Tate Liverpool. Albert Dock is about a 20-30 minute walk from Lime Street station and handy for the lively Cavern Quarter.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Liverpool Waterfront
Liverpool
County
Merseyside
Post Code
L3 4AA
Main Historic Period
Victorian
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
5 minutes from Mathew Street and the Cavern Quarter
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
Atlantic Bridge

This is the Bridge over the Atlantic, also known as the Atlantic Bridge; I daresay someone’s referred to it as Atlantic Crossing too. You’ll find it in Argyll, about 10 miles south of Oban. Atlantic Bridge’s real name is Clachan Bridge and it joins the Hebridean island of Seil with the mainland, spanning what is technically a section of the Atlantic Ocean, albeit a very narrow one. We Brits are known for our sense of humour; just look at how we still agree to pay our politicians.  The bridge was designed by Robert Mylne (1733-1811) – who also designed Blackfriars Bridge in London - and was built in 1792.

Nearby on the island side is the Tigh an Truish Inn - the house of trousers. The name allegedly comes from the time after the 1745 rebellion, when the Government banned the kilt. So islanders travelling to the mainland for work would change into trousers at the inn before crossing the bridge, and back into traditional plaid when returning home.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Clachan
Seil
County
Argyll
Post Code
PA34 4TJ
Main Historic Period
Georgian
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Slate Islands and Heritage Centre. Oban 10 miles to the north.
Primary Management
Historic Scotland
BAT and BALL, Hambledon

The Bat and Ball, Hambledon, sits on a junction between the villages of Hambledon and Clanfield, though is marginally closer to the latter. It is a wonderful location and the pub, as well as serving excellent ale, is famous as being 'the cradle of English cricket'. This is the place where the modern rules of the game were drawn up by Hambledon Cricket Club, which played on Broadhalfpenny Down, opposite the pub, in the 18th C. The captain of HCC was one Richard Nyren (1734-97), who was also landlord of the pub. 'Tis said that the 'formidable' Hambledon team played All England elevens on 51 occasions, winning 29 of the matches. I wonder how they'd have got on against Australia?

Photo: Courtesy of The Bat and Ball.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
Hyden Farm Lane
Hambledon
County
Hampshire
Post Code
PO8 0UB
Main Historic Period
Georgian
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Winchester Hill, Butser Hill Ancient Village
Primary Management
Other
BREWERY ARTS CENTRE, Kendal


The Brewery Arts Centre is an unusual, but wonderful, venue that offers a diverse programme of international theatre, comedy, live music, cinema, dance, exhibitions, workshops, festivals and other events.  There is also a reasonable, informal, restaurant and a bar that often serves good beer.  It is a notable asset to Kendal, and to the wider area.
It opened in 1972.  Whitwell, Mark and Co (‘The House of Whitwell’) had established a wine business on the site in 1757, with cellars said to hold over 40,000 gallons of wine, and in 1853 built a beer brewery in the garden of the Georgian town house that still fronts the Brewery on Highgate.  By 1900 Whitwell Marks of Kendal was one of the town’s largest employers .  In 1946, the firm was taken over by Vaux Breweries of Sunderland, who closed their operations in 1971 and sold the site.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
122A Highgate
Kendal
County
Cumbria
Post Code
LA9 4HE
Main Historic Period
Modern
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Kendal Castle, Kendal Museum, Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Holy Trinity Church, the Lake District
Primary Management
Other
EAGLE and CHILD, Oxford

Popular 17th century pub known for its associations with regulars , the writers RR Tolkien and CS Lewis. The pub is also known as 'the bird and baby'. It is owned by St John's College, but leased out.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
49 St Giles
Oxford
County
Oxfordshire
Post Code
OX1 3LU
Main Historic Period
Modern
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
Oxford City Centre and colleges. Lamb & Flag is opposite.
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
GEORGE & VULTURE

There has been an inn on the site of the City’s George & Vulture since the 15th century, but it burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666. Originally called ‘The George’, the vulture bit was added because (allegedly) the rebuilt inn was partly leased to a wine merchant whose sign was a live vulture, tethered above the entrance. These days, it is known as a favourite watering-hole of Charles Dickens, who mentioned it several times in ‘Pickwick Papers’ and whose descendants sometimes meet there. It is not a pub, but a restaurant with varied reviews. This writer has no personal experience of it, but from the outside it looks like a public lavatory.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
3 Castle Court
County
London
Post Code
EC3 9DL
Main Historic Period
Stuart
Tip/Nearby
Between Bank and Leadenhall Market
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
GEORGE INN, BOROUGH

The George, Borough High Street, is the last remaining galleried coaching inn in London. There were once many such inns in the area, catering for travellers on their way south from the City, or heading north and pausing before crossing London Bridge.  They included the famous Tabard, where Chaucer's pilgrims met, which used to stand just south of the George.  By Dickens' times, the number of such inns had been reduced to half a dozen.  The current George Inn building dates from the 17th century, but there has apparently been an inn on the site since medieval times. And it serves a good pint. The property is owned by the National Trust, leased to a tenant.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
75-77 Borough High Street
Southwark
County
London
Post Code
SE1 1NH
Main Historic Period
Stuart
Link to featured article
Useful Website Address
Tip/Nearby
London Bridge
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
HARDRAW FORCE

Hardraw Force, England's highest unbroken waterfall above ground, can only be visited via the Green Dragon Inn in Hardraw, where you will need to pay a small fee. It is worth the effort if you're in the area, but don't expect Niagara Falls. Take stout footwear. The pub is highly tempting.

Location/Address
Hardraw
Leyburn
County
North Yorkshire
Post Code
DL8 3LZ
Main Historic Period
N/A
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Hawes
Primary Management
Private - open to the public
LAMB and FLAG, Oxford

A tavern since 1695, the Lamb & Flag is owned by St John's College and was voted Oxford's best pub by CAMRA members in 2016. It has some association with JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis and was apparently where Thomas Hardy wrote most of his last novel, Jude the Obscure.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
12 St Giles
Oxford
County
Oxfordshire
Post Code
OX1 3JS
Main Historic Period
Stuart
Link to featured article
Tip/Nearby
Eagle and Child is opposite
Primary Management
Educational establisment
PHILHARMONIC DINING ROOMS

Known as 'the Philly', this is a grand pub opposite Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall, built in grand Victorian splendour rather in the style of a gentlemen's club. Gents - you really should check out the gents!  The Philly has been - and probably still is - visited by the great and the good of Liverpool. Rumour has it the Beatles occasionally visited - and Paul McCartney certainly performed there when participating in James Corden's 'Car Pool Karaoke' in 2018.

Region/Nation
Location/Address
36 Hope Street
Liverpool
County
Merseyside
Post Code
L1 9BX
Main Historic Period
Victorian
Tip/Nearby
Ye Cracke, John Lennon's college pub, is round the corner in Rice Street
Primary Management
Private - open to the public

This is a growing listings directory – over 950 entries have been listed as of September 2022. 

Entries have links for further information, such as opening times and entry fees.

If your favourite attraction is not listed yet, and you have a good quality digital photograph of it that you are able to freely send, please get in touch

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