Wander into any English neighborhood, town or village — no matter how small — and you will undoubtedly run across one or more of the ubiquitous pubs that dot the countryside. And the first thing you will notice is the sign outside the door.  According to the British Beer and Pub Association, there are over 53,000 public houses (informally known as pubs in the United Kingdom, each with a unique name used to identify and differentiate it from its neighbors. They have a long and fascinating history.

At the time of the Romans, tabernae (taverns) were located strategically along the roads of the Empire, providing housing, food, and drink to weary travelers. Often a piece of evergreen bough tied to the door would identify it. When the Roman Empire fell, the tabernae were replaced by Anglo Saxon alehouses. The ale was brewed by the alewife, who would hang leaves on a stick to indicate when a new batch was ready to be consumed. Others would put out a copper kettle or a lamp.

The origin of the actual painted pub signs dates to 1393 when King Richard II directed that pubs should have signs outside their doors to identify them. Since most people in the Middle Ages could not read, pictures were used to illustrate the name of the establishment. Pub names can depict just about anything — a place, an animal, a myth, literature, history, battles, royalty or titles; some are whimsical (like the Cat and the Fiddle), others serious (like the Cross Keys, originally Monastic Houses providing lodging whose name is the sign of St Peter, the gatekeeper of Heaven).

According to the British Beer and Pub Association, the most popular name is The Red Lion, possibly referring to King James I of Scotland who instructed that all buildings had to bear the Scottish heraldic red lion. The red lion was also the sign of John of Gaunt, of the House of Lancaster. The second most common sign is The Royal Oak. It refers to the story of King Charles II who escaped captivity by climbing an oak tree. Some of the signs merely show a giant oak tree while others include the face of Charles II in the middle.

One of our favorites pub signs is the one over the Fourways Inn in St. Minver, sitting on the corner of a crossroads on the north Cornish coast. The pub sign includes a picture of the regular customers, including the Vicar, who, by the way, is Bill’s Dad.  Another is the Pheasant Plucker Pub in Plymouth. The name has been immortalized in the tongue-twisting rhyme (“I’m not a pheasant plucker, I’m the pheasant plucker’s son. I keep on plucking pheasants til the pheasant plucking’s done” — try saying that fast but take care!!!)

Often housed in an old building with low ceilings, oak beams and a roaring log fire, most pubs serve hearty food like fish and chips, bangers and mash or a ploughman’s lunch (cheese and pickles with a hunk of fresh crusty bread) to accompany the ales, stouts and beers. But pubs are so much more than just drinking or eating establishments. They are part of the social fabric of the neighborhood or community, sponsoring teams, organizing competitions or quizzes and serving as a place for the locals to meet at the end of the day to play darts or pool or merely to catch up on the day’s events.

So the next time you are in England, look for the pub and its characteristic sign; you could learn a lot about the history and culture of Britain from this unique art form.

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