There is something about a gnarled old public house that holds almost universal appeal. Something about relaxing back into creaky old wooden benches, and an atmosphere well worn and comfy from centuries of convivial drinking. If an establishment is oddly proportioned, and poorly lit, with low ceilings and uneven floors, it’s guaranteed to please. If you can add a grisly past and a resident ghost or two, then even better. This perhaps goes some way to explain why the title of ‘Oldest Pub in Britain’ is so coveted — and so hotly contested. We take a look at some of the leading contenders and pretenders.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, Nottingham

First up is ‘The Trip’, as it is known to locals. One of Nottingham’s most popular tourist attractions, The Trip doesn’t pull its punches, with ‘THE OLDEST INN IN ENGLAND’ emblazoned outside.

The pub’s name dates back to the 12th century and local legend claims that the pub served as a resting point for knights leaving to fight in the Crusades – ‘trip’ here used in an antiquated meaning, equivalent to ‘break’. There is, however, no historical evidence for this claim, although an archaeological dig in the 1970s showed that the cellars of The Trip are likely to be the site of the original brewhouse of Nottingham Castle.

The Trip’s cellar caves are, in fact, one of the most fascinating features of the pub, carved into the sandstone of Castle Rock, and linked to a labyrinthine network of passages that date back to the time of the Castle’s construction in the 11th century.

The Trip also boasts some of the more bizarre pub-related hauntings and spooky phenomena. These include the improbably named ‘cursed galleon’ – a wooden model of a ship that hangs from the ceiling. Following the mysterious deaths of the last three people to have cleaned it, the galleon is now left un-dusted – although a glass case prevents clumps of cursed dust falling into unsuspecting pints.

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Ye Olde Man and Scythe, Bolton

In May 1644, in the midst of the English Civil War, Royalist forces stormed the Parliamentarian town of Bolton, leaving up to 1,600 dead. Local nobleman James Stanley, 7th Earl of Stanley and Royalist supporter, was present at the attack and, when Parliamentary forces finally secured victory, was beheaded in 1651.

While his scaffold was being erected, Stanley was permitted one last drink in the pub, ‘The Man and Scythe’. The chair in which Stanley savoured his usual for the last time remains in the pub on display, and, unsurprisingly, the late Earl’s ghost is said to haunt the premises. Official records date the city-centre pub to 1251, although the building has been reconstructed at least once, and only the vaulted cellars remain of the original construction.

The Bingley Arms, Bardsey, Leeds

The Bingley Arms claims to have historical evidence of beer-related activity going back over 1,000 years, when a certain ‘Samson Ellis’ is allegedly documented as using the central part of the current building for brewing in 953. The current building has undergone many changes since, however, and its present appearance dates back to the 1700s.

Before then, the pub was known as the Priest’s Inn, and served as a stopping point for travelling clergy. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid-16th century sparked a period of prolonged religious conflict in England, the pub went from being a figurative to literal refuge for men of the cloth – two ‘priest holes’ survive to this day.

Amongst its other claims, The Bingley Arms also has surely one of the most satisfying pub ghosts – a laughing Cavalier. Or at least a Cavalier with a ‘great sense of humour’, who likes to play practical jokes, according to the pub’s website.

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks, St Albans

Dissolved monasteries also feature in the history of Ye Old Fighting Cocks, St Alban’s, which was moved from the grounds of St Alban’s Abbey (now Cathedral) when the abbey was dissolved in 1593. Now situated just across the road from the cathedral, the buildings remain connected by a series of underground tunnels.

While the original monastic brewhouse dates back to the 8th century, however, the current building was constructed in the 11th century, and originally served as a dovecot, which explains its unusual hexagonal shape. A hub for the gruesome sport of cockfighting right up until it was banned in 1849, the pub still contains an eight foot by ten foot cock pit which now serves as a bar.

Distinguished past guests include Oliver Cromwell’s horse, which was kept in what is now the bar when the controversial former Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England allegedly stayed in the pub.

Old Ferry Boat, Holywell, Cambridgeshire

While The Man and Scythe can claim a dramatic cameo in a high-profile local death, the Old Ferry Boat in Cambridgeshire can go one further, boasting a bona fide grave actually built into its floor. The macabre memorial is alleged to belong to a young woman who took her life in the 11th century after being callously rejected by the local woodcutter. Forbidden the right to be buried in consecrated ground, she was instead buried near to the Old Ferry Boat pub. The pub has since expanded, incorporating the unmarked granite slab into its stone flooring. Visitors should pay attention — walking over the grave is said to bring unspeakable bad luck.

Situated on the banks of the River Ouse, there is documentary evidence that alcohol has been served on the site since 560 at least, while archaeological digs suggest the Ferry Boat’s foundations may even go back a further 100 years. The current building, however, dates from around 1400, and the top stories have been rebuilt, following a fire.

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