England boasts a plethora of pubs with names that range from the charmingly traditional to the downright eccentric. The Bucket of Blood at Phillack is the only pub in Britain to bear this name. Nowadays, it is a friendly pub in the centre of the small town of Hayle, serving good Cornish food and local beer. Apparently, the inn did not have such a welcoming aspect some 200 years ago and was the regular haunt for local smugglers and criminals. The gory name arose when one morning the landlord went out to the well to draw a bucket of water and instead pulled up a bucket of blood. On investigating, it was found that a body lay at the bottom of the well.
One such gem is "The Case is Altered" in Eastcote, London. The name, dating back to the 17th century, suggests a change in the legal proceedings, but patrons today are more interested in changing their beverage selection. In the picturesque village of Chillington, you’ll stumble upon "The Pickled Inn." The pub isn’t experimenting with unconventional pickling methods for its patrons. Instead, it’s a nod to the ancient tradition of pickling fish and local produce, showcasing the area’s maritime history.
The Red Lion is the most popular pub name across the UK, followed by the Royal Oak and the Crown Inn. This moniker probably comes from James VI of Scotland, who came to the throne of England in 1603 (as James I). He ordered the red lion of Scotland to be displayed on all important public buildings – which of course included inns and taverns.
The Royal Oak was the tree that gave refuge to a Stuart King during the English Civil War. Charles is said to have spent his last night as a free man at The King’s Head in Southwell Nottinghamshire (now called the Saracen’s Head, a nod perhaps to victories from the Crusades and some grisly souvenir-keeping). Many pub names have royal links. Apart from the Crown, the name “White Lion” dates back to the War of the Roses and King Edward IV, who carried a white lion in his coat of arms.
The word ‘tavern’ is much older which is derived from the Latin ‘taberna’. Pub names are used to identify traditional drinking establishments. Common enough today, the pairing of words in the name was rare before the mid-17th century.
Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem claims to be from 1189. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks actually has its title in stone as the oldest pub in the UK. The ‘Red Lion’ is the most popular pub name across the UK.
Pub names stem from Roman times where public houses hung vine leaves outside. When the Romans invaded Britain, vine leaves were in short supply, so they hung bushes up instead to mark the inns. ‘The Royal Oak’ started after the Battle of Worcester in 1651 when Prince Charles hid in a great oak tree. As well as royal names, many pubs get their names from hunting.
The shortest named is The "Q" Inn, and the longest is "The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn". 10% of English pubs have one of the top 20 most popular names.
An owner might lay hold of a handy object and hang it over the door as an identifying sign, effectively naming the pub after the object. English pub names have been repeated over by a recycling of names. Where’s the originality? 57,000 local pubs exist. 518 are named Red Lion. 212 pubs are named Queen’s Head.
The origin of English pub names comes from 1393 when Richard III ordered pubs have clear signs so controllers could monitor beer quality. If the beer was diluted, the pub had to remove its sign.