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Ten of the best: old British pubs
  • First established in the 12th century, by 1870 The Lamb Inn supplied 300 post horses for coaches going to and from London and the west country. The Inn has maintained most of its original character with inglenook fireplaces, flag stone floors and heavy wooden beams. boisdale.co.uk

  • Originally built as three separate cottages in 1726, The Devonshire Arms was converted into an Inn in 1747 and its past visitors include Charles Dickens! Now a four star Inn, the interior boasts flagstone walls and three log fires, whereas its menu focuses on local and home grown ingredients. devonshirebeeley.co.uk

  • Fourteen minutes from Bath and set in the rolling green hills of Somerset, this grade one listed inn is 700 years old and offers beautiful views of the surrounding rural scenery. The inn boasts beams, antique furniture, cosy bars, a garden and an ancient galleried courtyard. For more information visit georgeinnnsp.co.uk

  • The Skirrid Inn is the oldest public house in Wales and has a history that dates back to the Norman Conquest. Nestled in the shadow of the Skirrid Montain, the Inn has been standing in the exact same spot for almost 875 years. Visitors include Welsh ruler Owain Glyndwr and several of England's past kings. The Inn is also thought to be the most haunted place in the entire country! 

  • Officially known as England's Oldest Pub, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem dates back to 1189AD. Originally the castle brewhouse, the Inn is built into the caves underneath Nottingham castle and, as well as providing ale, it was also used as a place to sterilize dirty water. triptojerusalem.com

  • Based in the ancient Stannary town of Chagford on the north-eastern edge of Dartmoor, The Three Crowns Inn has just been reopened following an extensive refurbishment programme. With its thatched roof and open fire, this listed 13th century building offers wholesome home-cooked dishes and award-winning St Austell Brewery ale. threecrowns-chagford.co.uk

  • Y Ffarmers country pub has stood in the pretty village of Llanfihangel y Creuddyn near Aberystwyth for centuries. Rumour has it that King Edward I stayed here when he travelled the old pilgrim’s route from Llanbadarn Fawr to the Cistercian Abbey at Strata Florida.   The menu is varied and changes regularly, and the pub offers a range of Welsh ales. yffarmers.co.uk

  • One of the most famous - and oldest - pubs in Newcastle, the Crown Posada is more than 260 years old. Legend has it that the pub was bought by a Portuguese sea captain in the early 19th century for his “Geordie” mistress. Originally named The Crown, the captain is said to have added "Posada" to the end, which in Portuguese means “Resting Place”. The grade II listed building with a Victorian exterior, an elaborately panelled entrance, and a ceiling shaped like a coffin, still boasts its original stained glass windows. sjf.co.uk/our-pubs/crown-posada/

  • This 17th-century pub was once popular with J.R.R Tolkien and CS Lewis. Tolkien, Lewis and fellow writers dubbed themselves 'The Inklings', and would gather here to write (they also nicknamed the pub "The Bird and Baby"). Nowadays The Eagle and Child offers quality pub food and an eclectic range of real ales. nicholsonspubs.co.uk

  • Famously referred to in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, the 17th-century Olde Cheshire Cheese attracts fascinating clientele (Mark Twain, Alfred Tennyson and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were all regulars here). Its cosy warren of dark, snug rooms make it a great place for a relaxing ale (or two). 

  • Built circa 1522, the Black Boy Inn is one North Wales' oldest inns and has been a retreat for weary travellers for centuries. According to the website, it's thought that the origins of its name either relates to a "to a black boy brought into the country on a ship" or to "a navigational buoy which existed in the harbour in the early days of the Inn". black-boy-inn.com

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