CURIOUS BRITISH PUBS

BEST PUN NAME The Fawcett Inn / Force It In Southsea, Hampshire.

The pun in the name "Force it In" is wholly unintentional.  The pub and road were actually named in memory of Lieutenant Alexander Fawcett of the 95th Regiment who was killed in action at Bejapore in India during 1853.

Designated as  a grade II listed building, the pub was originally designed by A H Bone and built for the Brickwood Brewery around 1886.  There is a memorial plaque to Alexander Fawcett located in Portsmouth Cathedral.  The Inn was refurbished and placed under new management in 2011 and has regained its reputation as a popular venue for students and  live music. 

LONGEST PUB NAME The 13th Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn: Stalybridge, Greater Manchester.

In 1855, Stephen Cliffe opened a new beer house on the site called the New Inn.  Around 1880 a drill hall was constructed nearby for the 13th Cheshire Rifle Volunteer Corps and the Pub is believed to have been renamed The Thirteenth Mounted Cheshire Rifleman Inn. On the  6th March 1950 it was granted a wine license and on the 25th May 1956 The Rifleman became a full public house (pub) after acquiring a full licenses from the Floating Light pub on Bridge Street. In order to retain the Guinness book record the name of the pub was extended during the 1980's. (Accurate as of 2012)

THE VICTORIA CROSS The John Brunt VC Paddock Wood, Kent.

This is the only pub in the world named after a person who has been awarded the Victoria Cross Medal.  Considered the highest military honour that can be awarded to a soldier for gallantry, the medals are made from Russian cannons captured at the siege of Sevastopol. John Henry Cound Brunt spent his teenage years in Paddock Wood and later served with the Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment).  He was awarded the V.C. for his bravery on the 9th December 1944 during a German counter attack near to Ravenna in Italy. In a cruel twist of fate he was killed the following day when a stray mortar shell landed nearby. The pub was formally named The John Brunt V.C on the 3rd of September 1947.

ONLY PUB IN A SEA CAVE The Marsden Grotto South Shields, Tyne & Wear.

Reputed to be the only pub in a sea cave, the Marsden Grotto has a long and fascinating past.  Located in the cliffs of South Shields it faces out towards the North Sea, Marsden Rock and eventually the eastern coast of Denmark. Stories suggest that the original cave was used by smugglers for storing their illicit goods. It was further  excavated and inhabited by "Jack the Blaster" and his wife who later sold food and drink to curious visitors.  The cave was later enlarged by Peter Alan and his family who were ultimately granted a license to sell beer. It was during this time that 18 skeletons were discovered and are believed by locals to have been smugglers. Since then it has been owned by various people and is still open today.

TOLKIEN & THE HOBBIT The Eagle and Child Oxford, Oxfordshire

A  local legend claims that the building was once used by the Chancellor of the Exchequer during the English Civil War of 1642–49. The name is believed to derive from  a lesser heraldic crest of the Stanley family used by Edward Geoffrey Stanley the 14th Earl of Derby (1799-1869.  This is based on the story of an illegitimate baby abandoned in an eagle's nest but instead of being killed by the bird it is raised as its own.  As such, it's nickname is the Bird and Baby. The pub, and the Rabbit Room in particular, was a favourite haunt of the Inklings and J R R Tolkien who tested out many ideas for The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy within its walls. It is currently owned by St John's College, Oxford.

BRITISH PUBS AT THE EXTREMES