16 UK Pubs That Changed History

There are many reasons to love the Great British pub: good beer, silly jokes and comforting snacks. Our favourite establishments have been graced by the presence of many famous faces over the years. Well-known names have stopped for refreshments, whilst others used pubs as a setting for planning their devious schemes.

The Star Tavern in Belgravia, London, is one such place. The gang behind the Great Train Robbery used to meet here while planning their daring heist. It seems they were as attracted by the pub’s semi-glamorous clientele as by the privacy! Lucien Freud, Diana Dors, and Bing Crosby were among the Tavern’s most renowned visitors.

History reaches back even further at the 900-year old Skirrid Mountain Inn, near Abergavenny in Wales. The pub has doubled as a law court and even as a gallows across its dark history, as well as being the place that Owain Glyndŵr roused some of his troops to face the English in the 15^th century. Like so many pubs in the British Isles, it’s believed to be haunted.

If all this history is making you thirsty, you’ll love our new infographic. Packed with historic detail about pubs in all four corners of the kingdom, you’ll discover you’re never far away from a hostelry with history.

Just try to drink responsibly – you don’t want to forget your history lesson in the morning!

 For a larger view, click the following link to see a full-sized version of the map.

Take a holiday to go down in history with a break at one of our cottages in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Here’s to you – now, bottoms up!

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Sources

The Independent. (2006). Inns of distinction: The pubs that made history. independent.co.uk

Reeves, S. (2016). A Pint with the Ghosts. britishheritage.com

Protz, R. (2009). Top 10 pubs for gunpowder, rebellion and plots. theguardian.com

Nicholsons Pubs (2017). THE EAGLE AND CHILD. nicholsonspubs.co.uk

Oaka Group (2017). The History. thebartonsarms.com

The Telegraph (2015). Britain’s oldest pubs: in pictures. telegraph.co.uk

Admin (2015). Ten Unusual Pubs. britainexplorer.com

Globe Inn Dumfries. History. globeinndumfries.co.uk

Greene King (2017). EDINBURGH’S MOST HAUNTED PUB 2005. whitehart-edinburgh.co.uk

Reeves, S. (2016). A Pint with the Ghosts. britishheritage.com

Pen-Y-Gwryd Hotel (2017). The all-time classic British mountaineeing hotel. pyg.co.uk

Misstear, R. (2013). Hangings and executions: The dark past of Wales’ ancient hostelries. walesonline.co.uk

Kelly’s Cellars (2017). History. kellyscellars.com

Sweeney, J. (2015). Ireland’s oldest pub Grace Neill’s to reopen in in Donaghadee. belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Whoriskey, P. (2016). Man’s discovery of bones under his pub could forever change what we know about the Irish. independent.co.uk

McDonald, C. (2017). The Star Tavern. atlasobscura.com

C.M. Saunders (2022). The Skirrid Mountain. americymru.net