Lewes : pubs and their signs

It’s been a while since I blogged any pub signs and, as I photograph them wherever I go, I figured it was time I dipped in to my ‘waiting to be blogged’ album. So, without further ado, let me take you on a tour of some of the many public houses to be found in the charming historic East Sussex town of Lewes, a town which once had as many as 9 breweries and 63 pubs.

Harvey’s Brewery

Actually, this isn’t a public house as such but rather one of the sources of the amber liquid sold in those public houses and the source of that peculiar smell you notice as soon as you arrive in Lewes – the smell of brewing! Though extensively remodelled around 1881, much of this Grade II listed building was originally built in the early 19th century. Harvey’s website provides some excellent information on the brewery’s history, including a selection of wonderful old photographs.

The Brewers Arms

This is another pub with a nice piece about its history on its website. As you can see, the present building is not terribly old – it dates from the early 20th century, but the pub believes there has been an inn on this site since the end of the 17th century, though it has only been named the Brwers Arms since 1769. Its previous incarnations include the Red Lion from 1727 10 1744 and the Ship from 1744 to 1769.

The Gardener’s Arms

I love this sign! It’s not the sign at the front of the pub but is instead attached to the outside wall in the lane at one side of the building. It took me a while to realise that the grubby mark on the gardener’s apron is not actually part of the sign but an addition by a passing bird – I think it adds a note of authenticity!

The Gardener’s Arms is located in Cliffe High Street and housed in a Grade II listed building that dates from the early to mid-19th century. This would originally have been a shop though, according to the local Kelly’s Directories, the location has housed ‘beer retailers’ and ‘beerhouse keepers’, both men and women, since at least 1870.

White Hart Hotel

The white hart (or deer) is a very popular pub name in England, as an article on the History Press website explains:   

In 1393, during the reign of King Richard II, an Act was passed which made it compulsory for pubs and inns to have a sign in order to identify them as official watering holes. Many adopted The White Hart as their sign as it was the personal badge of the King – today it is the fourth most popular pub name in the UK.

As you can tell from the photos, Lewes’s White Hart is not that old, though behind that mid-19th century frontage lurk the remains of a building from the 16th century, if not earlier. Once the town house of the Pelham family, the building became a hotel in the early 1700s, according to the hotel website.     

The pub’s sign is fairly plain but I do really like the statue of the deer that adorns the hotel’s roof, though lichen has changed its colouring from white to some lovely shades of orange.

Rights of Man

Here’s another pub sign that I really like, all the more so because this pub was only established as the Rights of Man in 2012 – it’s great to see new owners maintaining the old signage traditions. Before the change to its present name, this inn had been called Lincolns and before that The Rainbow Tavern but that’s as much as I’ve been able to find out about its heritage.   

The Lansdown Arms

Built in 1827, the Lansdown’s owners proudly announce on its grey brick exterior that it’s ‘an atmospheric drinking den’ – not a claim that would attract me inside but I guess it works for some people. The pub is part of a terrace of buildings that extends along Lansdown Place, with two shops adjoining the pub and then houses next to those. From the layout of the windows on both the pub and the shops, it looks like it was a purpose-built public house but I’m not certain of that.

The coat of arms on the pub’s sign is that of the Marquess of Lansdowne, a peer of Ireland, and doesn’t appear to have any connection to Lewes. I assume, though the spelling is different, that it was chosen because of the name of the adjacent street.

The Red, White and Blue (now a house)

This last building is no longer a pub, nor does it have a pub sign, but it once was and it still retains some wonderful tile decoration along its frontage. The local Kelly’s trade directories show it was a beer retailer / beer house / inn from at least 1867, if not earlier, until it closed its doors for the final time around 1960. I understand those wonderful tiles were once painted over so well done to the house owners who restored them to their former glory.

Inns and their signs: Dorset, 1

A few months have passed since my excellent Christmas holiday in the Dorset – Hampshire – Somerset area, yet I haven’t written up these pub signs I photographed. Time to remedy that!

The Tippling Philosopher, Milborne Port

Now admittedly this 16th-century pub doesn’t have a very inspiring sign, especially considering its wonderful name, but it’s because of that name and the fact that the pub’s website actually has some good detail about its history that I’m including this one. Oh, and my friend Sarah and I also enjoyed a very nice lunch here.

To summarise the website: A tippler was an ale maker, and a local tippler was plying his trade on this very site from at least the mid 17th century. It is likely that the actual ‘Tippling Philosopher’ was one Robert Boyle, an eminent physicist, chemist and philosopher (who developed Boyle’s Law  and whose father Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork, owned much of the land around Milborne Port. It seems Robert may have spent his evenings in this very alehouse, pontificating on his theories of life, the universe and everything. (The website has even more fascinating snippets of history if you’ve a mind to know more.) 

The Grosvenor Arms, Shaftesbury

Though there has been an inn (previously named The Red Lion) at this location since the medieval era, the current building is elegant Georgian, rebuilt and renamed The Grosvenor Arms when purchased by the Grosvenor family in 1820. 

The pub sign shows the family’s coat of arms, whose motto Virtus non stemma means Virtue, not pedigree. 

The hounds supporting the shield are Talbot dogs, which were introduced to Britain as hunting dogs by the Normans.

The George, Sherborne

The sign claims that The George is the oldest pub in Sherborne and that may well be true, as the British Listed Buildings website states that the building may date from the early 16th century, when it formed part of Becket’s Chapel or Hospital. The building has since been much altered, though it retains enough of its original features to maintain its Grade II listing. The sign shows a very well drawn version of the traditional story of St George slaying the dragon

The Half Moon, Sherborne

Unfortunately I’ve found no information about The Half Moon. The building looks old, though not as old as many in Sherborne town centre, and I assume the inn is named after its location in Half Moon Street. The pub’s sign also appears modern but I like its stylistic simplicity.

The Plume of Feathers, Sherborne

Dating from around 1590, The Plume of Feathers enjoys a prime location immediately opposite stunning Sherborne Abbey. 

It is a building of two parts: the left side of three storeys retains its 16th- or early 17th-century stone mullioned windows, while the right side, of two storeys, dates from some time in the 19th century. 

The plume of feathers symbol, and its accompanying motto Ich dien (I serve), can be seen adorning many British pubs, and is in common use in many other contexts: it can be seen on the reverse of the old 2 pence coins, it’s the logo of the Welsh Rugby team, and, of course, it’s the official badge of The Prince of Wales. You can read more about the origins of the badge here.

The White Hart, Sherborne

Like the plume of feathers above, the white hart is another very common inn name – the fifth most popular, in fact, and another that’s associated with royalty. The white hart was the personal badge of Richard II, and the creature itself (a leucistic adult male red deer) has a long and interesting place in Celtic and later Christian myth and history. Sherborne’s White Hart is set amongst a row of Grade-II listed buildings in the very heart of that historic town, and looks a very nice place to enjoy a glass or two.

Salisbury: pubs and their signs, 1

The lovely historic city of Salisbury seems as awash with public houses as it is with rivers – it sits at the confluence of no less than five – no wonder it was so foggy when I visited on a grey December day in 2016! Its public houses must number far more than five but I hadn’t time to explore more than a few streets in any direction from my hotel and the cathedral, and there were more than five in that small area alone. Here are just four that took my fancy.

The Cloisters

As I had just enjoyed a peaceful stroll around the large cloisters (the largest of any cathedral in Britain) at Salisbury’s magnificent cathedral, it was this pub’s lovely sign that initially caught my eye. The pub itself is in a Grade II-listed building, which the pub’s website says dates from around 1350AD but the British Listed buildings website, probably more accurately, dates to the 15th or 16th century, though it has had more recent modifications, with an early 1800s shop window on one side of the ground floor and a more modern shop front on the other. Given its cosy dimensions and advertised open fires, it sounds the perfect place for a winter warm up.

Queen’s Arms

This, too, is a Grade II-listed building, though the British Listed Buildings website reports it is a more recent 17th or 18th century construction, with 19th century alterations and a modern glazed shop window and door. The pub’s own website, however, says that, prior to becoming an inn, the building was ‘bequeathed to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral in 1440’ and also that it was first licensed as an inn in 1558, the year Queen Elizabeth I took the throne, so it claims to ‘have the longest held continuous licence in the city of Salisbury’. Whatever the truth of the matter, I was particularly struck by the very literal interpretation of the ‘Queen’s Arms’ name on their sign and the thoroughly modern take on the queen, with a tat of a coat of arms on her arm.

The Wig and Quill

I was not able to discover anything about the history of The Wig and Quill, though it does appear to have a good reputation for a ‘Fantastic Sunday roast, warm fires, great seating and a good beer selection’. The bar features beamed ceilings and has open fires for winter warmth, plus there’s a sheltered courtyard garden in which to enjoy a cold drink in the warmer summer months.

I assume the name is a reference to the legal profession – perhaps solicitors and judges are frequent visitors, or it may be that the building previously housed offices of legal professionals, or perhaps there is a courthouse nearby.

The New Inn

Not one but two signs adorn the frontage of the New Inn – unfortunately, I didn’t get a good shot of the better, pictorial sign – but don’t you just love the badger symbol of Hall & Woodhouse, the brewery with which this pub is affiliated. 

And if this is the new inn, I wonder what the old one looked like, as this was a superb example of an old black-and-white building, all wonky angles and not a straight line in sight.

According to British Listed Buildings, this really is a historic building, with construction dating from around the 15th or 16th century, though it has seen a few changes since those early days. You can get a better look at the outside and some of the interiors on the pub’s website here. 

And what’s not to love about a pub that includes a photo of their cat in their photo gallery. Top marks, New Inn!

Cornwall: pubs and their signs

I’ve already included some of the many wonderful pub signs I discovered in Cornwall in my blogs about the places we visited but wait, there’s more!

Plume of Feathers, Porthscatho

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Porthscatho’s 17th-century Plume of Feathers pub would have been packed with local fishermen, celebrating (or commiserating about) the size of the day’s pilchard catch. The town is still a fishing port but these days the pub is more likely to be full of tourists and holidaymakers.

Interestingly, the plume of ostrich feathers on the pub’s sign is the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, and there are many pubs with this, or similar names, in areas of Britain that are associated with royal estates.

The Red Lion, Newquay

The Red Lion was once the most popular name for a pub in Britain, with over 600 back in 1986. This particular Red Lion sits on a hill high above Newquay and enjoys lovely views over the old harbour, town and beaches. With its front verandah, it looks like it could be located somewhere in the colonies rather than a town in Cornwall: there’s a wonderful old photo of it, dated 1888, in the Francis Frith collection.

The Old Custom House, Padstow

As the name indicates, this building once contained Padstow’s Custom House, with a bonded warehouse and neighbouring house for the Customs officials. Sitting right on the edge of the picturesque harbour, the oldest part of the building probaby dates from the 18th century, though there have been later additions and alterations. The sign presumably shows a Customs official at work recording goods in his ledger.

The Shipwrights, Padstow

This pub’s website says the Shipwrights is a ‘traditional brick pub built originally to serve the fishermen and tradespeople of the bustling historic port of Padstow’ but, according to a photograph and text in the book Padstow History Tour by Malcolm McCarthy, the building was not always a public house. In the 1920s, ‘H. Brown, painter and decorator, was using it. In earlier times, this building was the site of the saw pit, where great baulks of timber were cut by hand for the flourishing shipbuilding industry in the port.’ Regardless of the truth of the matter, it’s a wonderful old pub that was being very well patronised on the day we were in Padstow.

The Golden Lion, Padstow

Finally, a website that includes details of the pub’s history. You’d think it would be something to celebrate for all old historic buildings. The site says: ‘The Golden Lion dates back to the 14th century and is the oldest in in Padstow.’ And ‘The Golden Lion is the stable of the Old ‘Oss which, on the 1st May each year, dances through the streets of Padstow to the sound of drums and accordions’. You can read more about that May Day event here. 

The London Inn, Padstow

The London Inn’s website also tells the interesting, if slightly garbled story of its history. I interpret their text to mean that the buildings that originally housed three fishermen’s cottages were converted to a public house in 1803, and, rather than referring to the city of London (which is what the sign seems to infer), the name London came from a local sloop that operated out of Padstow between 1877 and 1878.

Tywarnhayle Inn, Perranporth

The Tywarnhayle Inn sign, an interesting shape that has an image showing the local beach landscape, says this pub was established around 1830 but I’m afraid I’ve uncovered no further information about its early history. More recently, though, it has suffered a series of rather smelly problems – according to an article dated 13 October 2014 on the Cornwall Live website, the pub had several times suffered ‘from internal flooding, which means that raw sewage waste travels up through the floorboards, sinks and toilets when nearby storm drains overflow.’ The floods were so bad they had forced the landlords to go out of business. Presumably, the local council has since rectified these problems.

The Green Parrot, Perranporth

Congratulations to Wetherspoons for exploring and celebrating the histories of their pubs:

‘Wetherspoon’s chairman and founder, Tim Martin, said: “We take immense pride in the restoration and refurbishment of wonderful buildings into Wetherspoon pubs. We feel that it is right to celebrate the history of the buildings.”’ 

The website gives the following information on the Green Parrot:

'Built as a private residence, this building was converted into The Green Parrot in c1977. The old house stood in wooded grounds and was originally named Pentrig House, from the Cornish meaning ‘end of the sea’ or ‘low tide’. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, it was the home of Joseph Teague, ‘Capt. & Hon. Major’ in the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, Perranporth.'

That doesn't explain where the pub got its current name but it's certainly a handsome pub sign.

Cornwall: The signs of Tintagel

After spending time in Newquay and Padstow, we were racing against time on Boxing Day to reach Tintagel before the light failed: I was hoping for a stunning sunset-over-the-ruins photo but you’ll have to settle for this rather uninspiring sunset over the local parish church instead. You see the days are short in Britain in winter and, because of that, tourist attractions often close earlier, so Tintagel Castle was closed by the time we arrived.

Since we were there, we did have a meander around Tintagel village, partly because we wanted to buy a present for the folks who had very kindly lent us their cottage for the week. Unfortunately, the shops had already shut as well. However, there were some mighty fine signs scattered around, so here’s a rather different look at Tintagel.

This place will forever be associated with King Arthur so, of course, there is a pub called King Arthur’s Arms. We didn’t venture in but it seems from their website that the publican has a sense of humour:

Jerome George Dangar is your host and is a native of Tintagel, he was born and brought up in Tintagel.

Jerome's father, Terry Jerome Dangar, was born and brought up in King Arthur’s Arms.

It is interesting to note that the historical notes of Tintagel record that John Dangar (who died in 1578 ) had two grandsons who both had sons called Jerome and from that time to this there has been Jerome Dangar in every generation except one!

Since names such as Zias, Rychabb and Jease were also chosen by previous Dangars, Jerome had a lucky escape.

Not surprisingly given the number of tourists that flock to this place, this small town boasts more than one pub. Just up the road we found the Tintagel Arms Hotel. The building dates from 1750 and was originally a private home. It has a very attractive pub sign, showcasing the ruins we didn’t get to see.

Another of the many hotels was The Wootons. It has a very minimalist website which tells nothing of the hotel’s history, nor does it explain the sign, which appears to show a crow looking over the ruins. Perhaps Wooton was the name of a previous owner. It’s an ancient surname, dating from Anglo-Saxons times, if not earlier. It’s a combination of the old English words wudu meaning wood and tun meaning settlement or enclosure, so the very first Wooton lived in a town by a wood, which I imagine would apply to 90% of the population in Anglo-Saxon times.

What a shame the Tintagel Toy Museum and Collectors Shop wasn't open – I imagine I might have spent rather a lot of time there and perhaps a little money as well. It is, apparently, a family-run business which, as well as being a model and general collectors’ shop, also houses Cornwall only toy museum, including ‘The Geoff Cann Collection’ of toys dating from the 1920s to the 1980s. I was certainly very impressed with the wonderful collection of old signs afixed to the building’s exterior.

We conclude our tour of Tintagel’s signs with these two rather bizarre offerings. I confess to knowing nothing at all about Spriggans until that day in Tintagel. I knew Cornwall was a magical place but I had no idea it was populated with faeries of all different kinds:

The more ill-tempered cousin of the piskie or browney, Spriggans were especially spiteful to those who offended them. Reputed to be the security force of the faerie society, they stood ready to measure out justice to those who would harm their otherworldly brethren. Some of the punishments believed to have been doled out by the Spriggans were storms sent to blight crops, and the leaving of changelings in place of stolen mortal children. They were most often found in old castle ruins and barrows, guarding buried treasure. Spriggans are described in literature as grotesque, with wizened features and crooked skinny bodies. Though small, they were purported to have the defensive ability to expand themselves to gigantic proportions.

Cornwall: The signs of St Ives

The actual mining may have finished long ago but Cornwall still trades heavily on its mining heritage. Not only are the former mines, their archaeological remains and their history museums big tourist drawcards but even the bus companies take advantage of the county’s mining legacy.

This claim is questionable! Do they mean this bakery has been making Cornish pasties for a longer time than any other? Or do they mean their baker is a really really really old person? We also saw various other bakeries making claims about their pasties and pasty-making: the tastiest, the best, those that had received awards and recommendations.

Sadly, we saw no seals to approach or feed but, apparently, Grey seals can be seen year round at St Ives as there’s a large colony across Carbis Bay at Godrevy Point. An article in The Telegraph explains that the signs were put up because people have been swimming close to seals in the summer months, seemingly ignoring the fact that seals are wild creatures not summertime plamates!

Lugger is the name given to the sailing vessels traditionally used for fishing off the west Cornish coast. Not only were they designed for fishing but they also needed to be fast in the water, to get their daily catch to market as quickly as possible, usually in a race against their fellow fishermen. The speed achieved by the Lloyd is said to have been faster than most modern-day racing yachts!

You’d think this warning would be unnecessary and that common sense would prevail. The sign’s presence on the harbour railing indicates otherwise.

A couple of beers on a hot sunny summer’s afternoon and, ooops, over you go!

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Sitting just across the road from the RNLI Lifeboat Station, the Lifeboat Inn is the perfect location for eating a meal while enjoying stunning views across St Ives harbour. 

Apparently, this is not an old pub – I read the building used to be an auction room but, if the hype is true, it’s now doing a very good imitation of a traditional harbour-side pub.    

The Three Ferrets was my favourite of a wonderful variety of signs I discovered in St Ives, though I’m not sure I’d enjoy drinking there. This from the St Ives tourism website:  

Local back street hostelry, which has been variously a stable, a munitions factory and a funeral director’s office. It is now a no-frills although still friendly one bar boozer ... It attracts an interesting cross-section of drinking society but mainly the younger drinker, and the lively, sometimes boisterous atmosphere (especially evenings) reflects this.

Cornwall: St Mawes and Porthscatho

What an intriguing place St Mawes was!

Storm Barbara was making her presence felt with squally showers, waves breaking over the sea wall, and gusty winds, so, after enjoying lunch in a cosy cafe on the waterfront, we didn’t venture far ... up and down the narrow old lanes, along back alleys, back along the seafront, out on to the harbour wall, briefly. It was a picturesque place, to be sure, but I was more fascinated with its interesting bits and pieces. 

Firstly, the equipment from what, presumably, had once been a fully functioning petrol station and/or garage. The old Shell pumps looked almost as good as new, and then there was the superb old Automobile Association sign fixed to the wall. That must be at least 90 years old. I love the precision in those measurements: Tregony 10½ miles and 263¼ miles to London!

The sun wasn’t showing his face this day but the sign outside The Rising Sun Hotel gave a hint of how wonderful the harbour must look on a good day.

There were old post boxes too: a George VI box fixed into the post office wall, and an intriguing, much older letter box, with its own protective cover, set into a house wall. I couldn’t even guess how old that must have been.

The fishing paraphernalia stacked along the harbourside was very photogenic, and the St Mawes Harbour Authority hut on the pier was garnished with a rather lovely weathervane that was straining against the full force of Storm Barbara.

But my personal favourites were the eminently sensible signs along the harbour wall. Perhaps the weather in summer is more conducive to diving and swimming – I couldn’t imagine anyone trying it in winter. And what about this last one? Not only does it tell you not to do something but it also provides a reason. I just love it!

I certainly hope to get back to St Mawes one day when the sun is shining, to enjoy a cruise on that pretty harbour, to check out the castle, to wander and explore more fully this charming little town.

We finished off the day with a visit to Porthscatho, another of Roseland’s coastal fishing villages and another with signage to spare! This was also a place where Sarah had holidayed as a child so we walked from one end to the other as she tried to recall which house her family had rented.

Portscatho must have been a fun place to holiday as a child and, as we drove back to our cottage after a lovely first day out and about, we enjoyed sharing memories of rock pools and seashells and sand castles.