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Guy Earl of Warwick, in Welling, Dartford, dates from at least 1896. and is thought to be the "Halfway House" which appears in Charles Dickens' 1861 Great Expectations.
Duke of Wellington
Sir Norman Wisdom, Deal, Kent. Named after the actor who worked as an errand boy locally.
The Shakespeare, Redland, Shakespeare's Tree, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire: Used to celebrate the Bard's genius.
Walpole Arms, Itteringham. Named after Robert Walpole, Britain's first prime minister.
General Wolfe, Laxfield : named after the military hero.
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Places
Tavistock Inn, as for example at Poundsgate, Dartmoor.
The Bailey Head a new name for the former Castle Tavern or Eagles sited on the Bailey Head, the name of the market square in Oswestry
Beachy Head
The Chislett, Long Sutton, Lincolnshire.Formerly The Ship, the pub was renamed by the new owners after their relations originating from the village of Chislett in Kent.
Horse Shoe Hole Inn, Leverington was located near the River Nene horse shoe feature.
London Inn
Mutley Tavern in Mutley Plain, Plymouth
Plymouth Inn
Twelve Pins or Na Beanna Beola (Finsbury Park, London): the Twelve Pins mountain range in the west of Ireland.
Cheviot Inn, Bellingham, Northumberland: a range of hills, the Cheviot Hills, of which the highest is locally called The Cheviot.
Kentish Horse
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An "arms" name, too, can derive from a pub's town.
Bedford Arms, Bedford Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, shows the arms of the town of Bedford. The more usual derivation is for the Duke of Bedford whose seat is at the nearby Woburn Abbey.
Plants and horticulture
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The most common tree-based pub name is the Royal Oak, which refers to a Historical event.
Artichoke Tavern, Blackwall refers to a plant.
Bush, Holly Bush, Mulberry Bush etc. refer to plants, but note that Bull and Bush refers to a battle (see Historical event above).
Chequers from the Wild Service Tree or "Chequer(s) Tree", the fruit of which was used to flavour beer before the introduction of hops.
Crabtree would refer to a crab apple tree growing nearby or in the grounds, as pubs are often free standing.
Flower Pot, Mirfield, Maidstone, Kent, Aston, Oxfordshire, Henley-on-Thames and Wisbech, Isle of Ely. Flowerpots, Cheriton, Hampshire.
Hand and Flower, Hammersmith, London, also Ham, Surrey. Hand and Flowers, Marlow.
Major Oak, Nottingham. Named after an ancient tree, and locally associated with Robin Hood
Pineapple, e.g. in The Pineapple, Kentish Town, also Berkshire and Oldham.
Pink Geranium, a pub in Pontardawe.
Rose Tavern, a pub in Wisbech, Isle of Ely.
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Tulip, Chelmsford.
Vine or Grapes possibly harks back to the Roman custom of displaying a vine outside a tavern or wine-shop, as in The Hoop and Grapes in Aldgate High Street, London (reputed to be the city's oldest pub) and the Vine, Wisbech (now closed).
Wheatsheaf, a Wetherspoon pub in Wisbech.
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Politically incorrect
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All labour in vain or Labour in vain. At various locations. Probably of Biblical origins, in past times the name was often illustrated by a person trying to scrub the blackness off a black child. Such signs have been mostly replaced with more innocuous depictions of wasted effort.
There are numerous old pubs and inns in England with the name of the Black Boy(s), many now claimed to refer either to child chimneysweeps or coal miners, or to a (genuine) historic description of King Charles II. The Black Boy Inn in Caernarfon, North Wales, has received at least a dozen complaints from visitors over the name, which dates back at least 250 years. In 2021 brewer Greene King changed the names of three pubs called The Black Boy, and another called The Black's Head.
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The Black Bitch, a pub in Linlithgow, West Lothian, is named after the local legend of a black greyhound who is said to have repeatedly swum to an island in the town's loch to bring food to its imprisoned master, only to suffer the same fate when its efforts were discovered. The pub's name has caused more than a few surprised tourists to question the name or decry it as racist.
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The pub itself (including nicknames)
The pub building
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Candlestick, West End, Essendon, Hertfordshire: Once the Chequers, lit by a single candle and plunged into darkness when the landlord took the candle to the cellar to fetch beer.
Crooked Chimney, Lemsford, Hertfordshire: The pub's chimney is distinctively crooked.
Crooked House, nickname of the Glynne Arms, Himley, Staffordshire. Because of mining subsidence, one side of the pub has a pronounced list.
Cupola House, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has a cupola on its roof.
Hippodrome : a former cinema. This March, Isle of Ely premises was once a cinema.
Hole in the Wall. The official name or nickname of a number of very small pubs. One such at Waterloo, London, is spacious but built into a railway viaduct. The Hole in the Wall, Gibraltar was an iconic bar well frequented by the navy workers.
Jackson Stops, Stretton, Rutland: The pub was once closed for a period when the only sign on the outside was that of London estate agent Jackson Stops. The name stuck.
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Kilt and Clover, Port Dalhousie, Ontario, named after the owners. The husband is of Scottish descent, and the wife is of Irish heritage. The split theme runs throughout the pub.
Lattice House, King's Lynn. Historic pub named for its timbered structure.
New Inn. Pubs can bear this name for centuries.
Nutshell, Bury St Edmunds: one of the foremost claimants to be the smallest pub in the UK and maybe the world.
Porch House, Stow-on-the-Wold. Named after the front of the building.
Push Inn, Beverley: At one time the pub had no external sign except for that on the entrance door which read, simply, PUSH.
Red House, Newport Pagnell, and on the old A43 between Northampton and Kettering: red or reddish painted buildings.
The Steps, Glasgow. Named after the steps outside.
Swiss Cottage was built in Swiss chalet style. It gave its name to an underground station and an area of London.
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Swiss Gardens, Shoreham-by-Sea, originally the pub of a Swiss-themed Victorian picnic garden and amusement park.
Thatched House Tavern, Cambridge, named after the building.
Three Legged Mare, High Petergate, York, named after the design of a gallows, an example of which may be found in the pub's garden; affectionately known as the Wonky Donkey.
Vaults, a number of pubs, not all having vaults as an architectural feature; the word also had the general meaning of 'storeroom'. By extension 'the vaults' was formerly used to designate a particular type of bar. At a time (mid 19th-mid 20th century) when the several areas in a pub served different clientele, 'the vaults' would cater largely for working-class drinkers and would most usually be men-only.
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White Elephant, Northampton, Northamptonshire. Originally built as a hotel to accommodate visitors to the adjacent Northampton Racecourse, the building became a "white elephant" (useless object) when horse racing was stopped at Northampton Racecourse in 1904.
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Services provided by the pub
Coach & Horses, for a coaching inn
Farriers Arms, for a pub with a farrier who could re-shoe the traveller's horses
Free Press, named for when part of the building in Cambridge was used to print a newspaper.
Horse & Groom, where the traveller's horse would be cared for while the traveller drank
Pewter Platter, Cross Street, Hatton Gardens (now closed), for a pub where meals were served.
Stilton Cheese Inn : named for the cheese sold locally that led to the cheese acquiring its name of Stilton cheese.
Wheelwrights, for a pub where a coach's wheels could be repaired or replaced
Beer and wine
Many traditional pub names refer to the drinks available inside, most often beer.
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Barley Mow: a stack (or sheaf) of barley, the principal grain from which beer is made.
Barrels: A cask or keg containing 36 Imperial gallons of liquid, especially beer. Other sizes include: pin, 36 pints; firkin, 9 gallons; kilderkin, 18 gallons; half-hogshead, 27 gallons; hogshead, 54 gallons; butt, probably 104 gallons.
Brewery Tap: A pub originally found on site or adjacent to a brewery and often showcasing its products to visitors; although, now that so many breweries have closed, the house may be nowhere near an open brewery.
Burton Stingo, Wisbech thought to be named after the Burton ales and Stingo on sale within.
Bushel (and New Bushel), Wisbech, Isle of Ely: named after a unit of volume used in a corn exchange to trade including barley used in brewing.
Cock and Bottle, or simply Cock: The stopcock used to serve beer from a barrel, and a beer bottle.
Coffee Pot Inn, (Downham Market) : another popular drink.
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Hop Inn: Hop flowers are the ingredient in beer which gives it its bitter taste, though this name is often intended as a pun.
Hop Pole: The poles which support wires or ropes up which hops grow in the field.
(Sir) John Barleycorn: A character of English traditional folk music and folklore, similar to a Green Man. He is annually cut down at the ankles, thrashed, but always reappears—an allegory of growth and harvest based on barley.
Leather(n) Bottle: A container in which a small amount of beer or wine was transported, now replaced by a glass bottle or can.
Malt Shovel: A shovel used in a malting to turn over the barley grain.
Mash Tun: a brewery vessel used to mix grains with water.
Pint Shop : unit of volume.
Three Tuns: Based on the arms of two City of London guilds, the Worshipful Company of Vintners and the Worshipful Company of Brewers.
The Tankard, London. Named after the drinks container.
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Food
Other pub names refer to items of food to tempt the hungry traveller. For example, The Baron of Beef in Cambridge refers to a double sirloin joined at the backbone.
Red Herring, Great Yarmouth. Named after Red Herring a product of the local fishing industry.
Shoulder of Mutton, Wisbech is another pub named for a joint of meat.
Puns, jokes and corruptions
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Although puns became increasingly popular through the twentieth century, they should be considered with care. Supposed corruptions of foreign phrases usually have much simpler explanations. Many old names for pubs that appear nonsensical are often alleged to have come from corruptions of slogans or phrases, such as "The Bag o'Nails" (Bacchanals), "The Cat and the Fiddle" (Caton Fidele) and "The Bull and Bush", which purportedly celebrates the victory of Henry VIII at "Boulogne Bouche" or Boulogne-sur-Mer Harbour. Often, these corruptions evoke a visual image which comes to signify the pub; these images had particular importance for identifying a pub on signs and other media before literacy became widespread. Sometimes the basis of a nickname is not the name, but its pictorial representation on the sign that becomes corrupt, through weathering, or unskillful paintwork by an amateur artist. Apparently, many pubs called the Cat or Cat and Custard Pot were originally Tigers or Red Lions
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with signs that "looked more like a cat" in the opinion of locals.
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Axe and Gate: Possibly from "ax (or ask) and get".
Bag o'Nails: Thought by the romantic to be a corrupted version of "Bacchanals" but really is just a sign once used by ironmongers. The pub of this name in Bristol, England was named in the 1990s for the former reason, though the latter is more prevalent.
Barge Inn. A play on words 'barge in'. The Barge Inn in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire is however actually on a canal, where barges tie up.
Beartown Tap, Congleton, Cheshire. 'Beartown' is the nickname for Congleton, as local legend claims its townsfolk once 'sold the bible to buy the bear', that is, spent money set aside to buy a parish Bible on providing bear-baiting at their fair.
Bent Brief, once close to the Honest Lawyer on Lodge Road, Southampton.
Bird and Baby, the familiar name used by the Inklings for the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford (see above under Heraldry).
Bird in-hand, Wisbech. Alludes to the expresssion.
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Buck and Ear in the Steveston area of Richmond, British Columbia. The name alludes not only to the maritime heritage of the area but also to a previous establishment at the same location that was called "The Buccaneer".
Bull and Mouth: Believed to celebrate the victory of Henry VIII at "Boulogne Mouth" or Harbour. Also applies to Bull and Bush (Boulogne Bouche).
Case is Altered: The title of an early comedy by Ben Jonson, first published in 1609, based on a remark by lawyer Edmund Plowden which entered into common currency. Also said to be a corruption of the Latin phrase Casa Alta ('high house') or Casa Altera ('second house'). There are several examples in England, such as at Hatton, Warwickshire The Case is Altered (now closed) and a later new build pub 'The Case' also now closed both in Wisbech, Isle of Ely.
Cat and Fiddle: a corruption of Caton le Fidèle (a governor of Calais loyal to King Edward III). Alternatively from Katherine la Fidèle, Henry VIII's first wife.
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Cock and Bull: a play on "cock and bull story". This term is said to derive from the Cock and the Bull, two pubs in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, which are close neighbours and rival coaching inns.
Dew Drop Inn: A pun on "do drop in".
Dirty Duck: The Black Swan, as in Stratford-on-Avon; also The Mucky Duck in Portsmouth and the Students Union pub at the University of Warwick
Dirty Habit: Sited on the route of the Pilgrims' Way, the name is a play on the contemptuous phrase and a reference to the clothing of monks who passed by on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral.
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Elephant and Castle: By folk etymology, a corruption of "la Infanta de Castile". It is popularly believed amongst residents of Elephant and Castle that a 17th-century publican near Newington named his tavern after the Spanish princess who was affianced to King Charles I of England. The prohibition of this marriage by Church authorities in 1623 was a cause of war with Spain so it seems unlikely to have been a popular name. A more probable and prosaic explanation is that the name derives from the arms of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, a London trade guild; an elephant carrying a castle-shaped howdah can also be seen on the arms of the City of Coventry.
Fawcett Inn ("force it in"), Portsmouth.
Gate Hangs Well, common in the Midlands: "This Gate Hangs Well, and hinders none. Refresh and pay and travel on." Also frequently found as 'Hanging Gate'.
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Goat and Compass[es]: Possibly based on the arms of the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, whose coat of arms contains three goats, together with the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, whose coat of arms contains three compasses. (either that, or from "God encompass us")
Honest Lawyer Folkestone, The Honest Politician, Portsmouth.
Hop Inn: similar to the Dew Drop Inn. A double pun in that hops are a major ingredient in beer making.
Jolly Taxpayer in Portsmouth.
Letters Inn ("let us in")
Library: So students and others can say they're in 'the library',
Nag's Head. Pub signs can play on the double meaning of Nag – a horse or a scolding woman.
Nowhere, Plymouth; Nowhere Inn Particular, Croydon: Wife calls husband on his mobile and asks where he is. He answers truthfully "Nowhere".
Office: as above.
Ostrich, Ipswich: originally Oyster Reach (the old name has since been restored on the advice of historians).
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Paraffin Oil Shop (now closed, at the crossing of A5080 and B5179 in eastern Liverpool, Google Earth view here: So people could say that they are going to buy paraffin.
Pig and Whistle: a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon saying piggin wassail meaning "good health".
Swan With Two Necks: In England and Wales, wild mute swans swimming in open water have traditionally been the property of the reigning monarch, who had the right to grant swan marks. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I granted the right to ownership of some swans to the Worshipful Company of Vintners. To tell which swan belonged to whom, the Vintners' swans' beaks would be marked with two notches, or nicks. The word 'nick' was mistaken for 'neck', and so the Vintners spotted that a Swan With Two Necks could afford them a rather clever pun, and a striking pub sign. When Swan Upping is carried out nowadays rings are used in lieu of nicking beaks.
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Three Chimneys, Biddenden: During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) it is said that up to 3,000 French prisoners were kept at nearby Sissinghurst Castle. The French seamen were placed on parole in the surrounding area and were allowed out as far as the pub building. At the time locals referred to this as the 'Three Wents' (or three ways) but the prisoners called it Les Trois Chemins. The unique name of the Three Chimneys therefore derives from the French term for the junction of three roads.
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Religious
The amount of religious symbolism in pub names decreased after Henry VIII's break from the church of Rome. For instance, many pubs now called the King's Head were originally called the Pope's Head.
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Adam & Eve, Norwich. The city's oldest pub.
Anchor, Hope & Anchor, Anchor & Hope, Anchor of Hope,: From the Letter to the Hebrews (6:19): "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope."
Blackfriars, Wisbech (closed): named after the Blackfriars of the town.
Cardinal's Hat, Harleston, Norfolk.
Cross Keys: The sign of St Peter, the gatekeeper of Heaven. Often found near a church dedicated to St Peter. When people walked to the Sunday service they often stayed afterwards, at a house near the church, to drink beer and to watch or participate in sporting events. These venues became known as pubs and would use the sign of the saint to which the church was dedicated - the Cross Keys for St Peter, an Eagle for St John, a Lion for St Mark. The sporting events might include the racing or fighting of dogs, bulls, cocks or pheasants, or the hunting of foxes, with or without hounds - thus giving rise to further pub signs.
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Lamb & Flag: From the Gospel of John (1:29): "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." The Lamb is seen carrying a flag (usually of St. George) and is the symbol of the Knights Templar, the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, and St John's College, Oxford. A pub of this name appeared in the popular BBC sitcom Bottom.
Five Ways: Possibly referring to the "Five Ways" of Thomas Aquinas, five reasons for the existence of God.
Lion & Lamb: The lion is a symbol of the Resurrection, the lamb a symbol of the Redeemer.
Mitre: A bishop's headgear, a simple sign easily recognisable by the illiterate. In Glastonbury and in Oxford a Mitre is adjacent to a church. In Wisbech the Mitre (formerly the Castle) had been erected on the castle ditch (part of the bishop's palace).
Salutation: The greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary when informing her she was to carry Jesus Christ.
Shaven Crown, at Shipton under Wychwood. One belonged to monks.
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Shepherd & Flock may refer to Christ (the Shepherd) and the people (his flock) but may also just mean the agricultural character and his charges.
Six Ringers, Leverington - named after the bells (or bell ringers needed) in the St.Leonards' church.
Three Crowns: The Magi, but also see Heraldry above.
Three Kings: The Magi.
Parish: In Huddersfield, Originally called "The Parish Pump", Referring to its close proximity to Huddersfield Parish Church.
Virgin's Inn, Derby : named after the Virgin Mary.
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Royalty
Royal names have always been popular (except under the Commonwealth). It demonstrated the landlord's loyalty to authority (whether he was loyal or not), especially after the restoration of the monarchy.
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King and Queen: Celebrates the dual monarchy of William III and Mary II.
Alexandra: wife of Edward VII.
King of Prussia, Gosport: named after Frederick the Great
Prince Arthur: (e.g. in Brighton) third son of Queen Victoria. His son, also Arthur, is usually referred to as the Duke of Connaught, another pub name.
Prince Leopold, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire: Queen Victoria's fourth son.
George the Fourth, Wisbech. After King George IV.
Queen Victoria reigned at the time of greatest expansion of housing stock and associated pubs, and at the height of the British Empire. She inspired great loyalty and affection, and publicans aimed to reflect this.
Prince of Wales: the title of the heir to the monarchy was also popular in Victorian times, when Albert Edward was the longest-serving holder of the title.
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Princess of Wales: following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, a number of pubs were renamed Princess of Wales, including the Prince of Wales on Morden Road in South Wimbledon. The sign replaced with an image of a white rose; Diana was called "England's Rose" in a popular song at the time by Elton John.
Prince Regent: the title of the future George IV, in the Regency period.
Queen of Bohemia, Wych Street, London. A former pub named after Elizabeth, daughter of James I and Anne of Denmark.
Three Queens Inn, Burton : named after three royal ladies.
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Ships
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Albion: at Penarth, near Cardiff, South Wales, and at West Kensington, London
Ark Royal : the name of five ships of the Royal Navy from 1587, from the time of the Spanish Armada, through the Dardanelles Campaign and the hunt for the Bismarck with the current ship in service since 1981. There is a pub of the name in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk.
Cutter: Wisbech, Isle of Ely. (now closed)
Cutty Sark, a clipper in dry dock and a pub nearby in Greenwich.
Endeavour, on Whitby's east side, Captain Cook's ship.
Golden Hind, Portsmouth: Sir Francis Drake's galleon.
Invincible, Portsmouth: named after the aircraft carrier and battlecruiser associated with the First and Second battles of the Falklands.
London Trader, Hastings
Lifeboat Inn, Holme-Next-The-Sea. A smuggler's Inn named after the rescue boat.
Llandoger Trow, Bristol: a 17th-century pub with literary connections.
Mary Rose, Southsea: named after Henry VIII's battleship of that name.
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Mayflower, famous for sailing the Pilgrim Fathers to Plymouth Colony in 1620. A pub in Rotherhithe.
Old Ferryboat, Holywell, Cambridgeshire
Pilot Boat, Bembridge, Isle of Wight and Lyme Regis, Dorset
Prospect of Whitby, on the north bank of the Thames at Wapping, London.
Resolute, Poplar High Street, London.
Royal George, Salisbury, Shoreham-by-Sea, Soho, Workington and may others.
Sheffield, Barrow-in-Furness (now closed): After , built in the local shipyard and sunk in the Falklands War.
Ship Defiance, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: (now closed)
Ship Leopard, near Portsmouth Hard: named after several Royal Navy ships, the most recent having been an anti-aircraft frigate.
Ship on the Stocks, Great Yarmouth.
Sloop, Wootton Bridge, Isle of Wight
Steam Packet Tavern, Rose Corner, Norwich.
Vanguard, Keal Cotes, Lincolnshire (now renamed)
Victory, Station Road, Chertsey, Surrey, Marble Arch, St. Mawes and elsewhere
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Waverley, Carisbrooke, Isle of Wight: named after the paddle steamer.
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Sports
Games
Double Six, Stonebroom, Derbyshire, now closed, had Dominoes displayed on the sign.
Football club nicknames include:
Hammers, London E6: West Ham United although elsewhere in the country it could refer to blacksmiths (see Heraldry above).
Magpies, Meadow Lane, Nottingham: Notts County who play close by at the other end of Meadow Lane.
The Peacock Inn: Elland Road, Leeds. Opposite the Leeds United football ground whose original nickname was taken from the pub.
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Hunting and blood sports
Anglers' Beerhouse, Wisbech. The fens are noted for the coarse fishing facilities.
Bird in Hand: the bird sitting on the left gauntlet in falconry.
Blue Posts: boundary-markers of Soho Fields, the (former) royal hunting grounds to the north-east of Whitehall Palace.
Dog and Bear: Bear-baiting, where a bear was tethered to a stake and dogs set upon it to see who would kill who first. Bear Inn may refer to the sport or to the coat of arms of a prominent local family.
Dog and Duck where duck-baiting events were held.
Dog and Gun: Referencing gun dogs. Similarly, Dog and Partridge.
Fighting Cocks (or just 'Cock'): Cockfighting; but the fighting cock also could be a heraldic charge. Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in Saint Albans rivals Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham for the title of oldest pub; its name advertised actual cockfighting entertainment in the pub.
Fox and Hounds (or 'Dog and Fox'): Fox hunting
Gin Trap Inn, Hunstanton. After the animal trap.
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Greyhound: for Henry VIII's favourite hunting dog among others
Hare and Hounds: hunting by beagling or hare coursing, or greyhound racing
Hark to Bellman: Clitheroe later (1826) the Bellman Inn, named after a hound of the huntsman John Peel, as were the Hark to Bounty in Slaidburn, and the Hark to Towler in Bury; in fox hunting, "hark to" meant to listen.
Rabbits, Gainsborough : a frequent object of shooting.
Tally Ho: A hunting cry which was also used as a name for a stagecoach. The Tally Ho at Trumpington, Cambridgeshire shows a Spitfire as the call came to be used by some local wartime RAF pilots.
Bay Horse: West Woodburn, Northumberland. Refers to the use of horses in fox hunting, bay being a colour of horses.
See Ho Shorne, Kent: a hare coursing term.
Fox Goes Free (Charlton, West Sussex). Particularly appropriate after the ban on fox hunting in the United Kingdom in the early 2000s.
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Other Sports
Bat and Ball: a reference to cricket used by a number of pubs, one of which gave its name to a railway station.
Boathouse, Cambridge—not far from the real boathouses.
Bowling Green—Bowls has been for many years a popular sport in the Manchester area: many of the greens are attached to pubs, e.g. the Lloyd's Hotel and the Bowling Green Hotel in Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The Bowling Green Hotel in Grafton Street, Chorlton on Medlock, no longer has a green.
Cricketers: can be sited near or opposite land on which cricket is (or was) played.
Cricket Players: a version of the Cricketers found in Nottingham and probably elsewhere.
Hand and Racquet, Wimbledon, near the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. A fictional version is referenced several times in Tony Hancock scripts.
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Larwood and Voce, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire: Harold Larwood and Bill Voce were two internationally renowned fast-bowlers who played for Nottinghamshire and England between the world wars. This pub is at the side of the Trent Bridge cricket ground, the home of Nottingham County Cricket Club.
Test Match, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire: an international game of cricket. This beautiful art deco Grade II listed pub is to be found near Trent Bridge at the other end of Central Avenue, a ground on which test matches are played.
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Trent Bridge Inn, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, the most famous of cricketing pubs sited on the edge of the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, is not named after the ground but for the bridge itself. This was a strategic crossing place of the River Trent protected by Nottingham Castle. Ben Clark, the owner of the Inn in 1832, was a cricket enthusiast and decided he would like a cricket pitch in his back garden. It was that small pitch which evolved into one of the world's premier test match venues.
Old Ball: Horsforth, Leeds. next to the Horsforth Cricket club pitch.
Popinjay Inn, Norwich : a Popinjay is a target used in archery.
Wrestlers: Great North Road, Hatfield, Hertfordshire and Wisbech (now closed) named for the sport.
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Topography
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Barrack Tavern, Woolwich Common: near the army barracks.
Bishop's Finger: after a type of signpost found on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, said to resemble a bishop's finger (also used as the name of a beer by Shepherd Neame Brewery).
Bridge Inn (often preceded by the name of a bridge) - located near a river or canal bridge: historically these were good places to establish a pub due to passing traffic on both the road and the water. Bridge and Bridge Inn were both to be found in Wisbech, Isle of Ely (now closed).
Bunch of Carrots, Hampton Bishop. Named after a rock formation.
Castle: usually a prominent local landmark, but sometimes a heraldic device: see under "Heraldry", above. Castle, Wisbech, Isle of Ely; (now closed) named after the succession of castles, bishops palaces and villas that occupy a site to this day known as The Castle.
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First In, Last Out: A pub on the edge of a town. It's the first pub on the way in and last on the way out. Does not refer to the habits of any of the pub's clientele as some signs suggest.
Fosdike Inn, near Boston : named after the village of Fosdyke, itself named after an early watercourse.
Half Way House: This one is situated half-way between two places; but with the pub of this name at Camden Town it's anyone's guess which two places it's half-way between. A similar name is West End House (located at the West side of a town).
Horsefair Tavern, Wisbech (closed and for sale. 2021). Named after the Horsefair (now a shopping mall, formerly a site for selling horses). Former uses included as a Liberal Club and a youth club.
First and Last, nickname of The Redesdale Arms, the nearest pub to the border between England and Scotland, on the A68 between Rochester and Otterburn in Northumberland.
Five Miles from Anywhere Inn: No Hurry, Upware. An isolated hostelry.
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(number) Mile Inn : Usually the distance to the centre of the nearest prominent town, as in the Four Mile Inn at Bucksburn, Aberdeen, and the Five Mile House, near Cirencester.
North Pole beerhouse, Wide Bargate, Boston, Lincolnshire. (closed)
Strugglers, near a gallows, refers to how people being hanged would struggle for air. Ironically the famous executioner Albert Pierrepoint was landlord of the Help the Poor Struggler at Hollinwood, near Oldham, for several years after World War II, and had to hang one of his own regulars, James Corbitt.
Hangmans Inn, on site of gallows Guernsey
Harbour Hotel, Wisbech, Isle of Ely. next to the harbour.
Nene Inn, Wisbech, Isle of Ely. Near the river of the same name.
Theatre Tavern, Gosport. Both theatre and adjacent tavern had the same owner.
Tunnel Top: near Runcorn, Cheshire, named for its position over a canal tunnel.
Turnpike: named for a former toll point, as in Turnpike hotel, Wisbech.
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West End, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: (now renamed BLUES), a pub on the West of the town.
Windmill: a prominent feature of the local landscape at one point. Pubs with this name may no longer be situated near a standing mill, but there's a good chance they're close to a known site and will almost certainly be on a hill or other such breezy setting. Clues to the presence of a mill may also be found in the naming of local roads and features. The Windmill in Wisbech, Isle of Ely was next to the site of a windmill.
World's End. A pub on the outskirts of a town, especially if on or beyond the protective city wall. Examples are found in Camden and Edinburgh.
Three Hills. A pub in the village of Bartlow, Cambridgeshire, named after three barrows close to the border with Essex.
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Trades, tools and products
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Axe 'n Cleaver in Much Birch, or Altrincham, also Boston, Lincolnshire and North Somercotes
Bettle and Chisel in Delabole, Cornwall, from two tools of the slate quarrymen
Blackfriars, Wisbech: named for the local friars. (now closed)
Blind Beggar, a pub in Whitechapel named for the story of Henry de Montfort
Brewers Arms, Wisbech: (now closed) named for the local brewing industry.
British Rifleman, Wisbech : (now closed) named for the British Army infanteers equipped with rifles.
Butcher: the Butchers Arms can be found in Aberdeen, Chester-le-Street, Hepworth, Sheepscombe, Stroud, Woolhope and Yeovil
Compasses, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, dates from the 17th Century.
Chemic Tavern, Leeds, West Yorkshire. Named for the workers at the nearby Woodhouse Chemical Works,(C. 1840–1900) it was a beer house on the 1861 census. The licensee was James Lapish.
Custom House Tavern, Wisbech: (now closed) named for the local customs post in the port.
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Engineers Tavern, Wisbech: named for the local rail industry.
Fen Plough, Chatteris : named after the local farming equipment.
Foresters, Brockenhurst in the New Forest
Golden Fleece, for the wool trade
Gun Barrels: at Edgbaston in Birmingham, a city known for its metal-working and gunmaking trades.
Harbour Hotel, Wisbech: (now closed) named for the local maritime industry.
Harrow: A harrow breaks up the soil after it has been turned over by the plough to a finer tilth ready for sowing.
Harewood End: Hare, Woodland, in Winfrith, Dorset
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Jolly Nailor in Atherton, Greater Manchester, named after nail manufacture, present in the area since the 14th century.
Lathrenders Arms, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: (now closed) named for the local lathe industry.
Locomotive, Wisbech: named for the former local rail industry.
Malt Shovel, Three Holes Bridge, Upwell (now closed). Named for brewing implement.
Masons Arms, Wisbech: (now closed) named for the local masonry industry.
Midland Counties, Wisbech: named for Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway one of the local railway companies.
New Holly in Forton, Lancashire, named after the busy trade in the supply and cultivation of wreaths and decorations.
Olde Murenger House Newport, Monmouthshire, takes its name from the person in charge of the walls of a town or its repairs, known as murage.
Oyster Reach at Wherstead, Ipswich
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Pillar of Salt, the name of pubs in Northwich, Cheshire and Droitwich, Worcestershire. Although ostensibly the name refers to Lot's wife as described in the bible, both towns were formerly centres of the salt trade in England.
Plough: an easy object to find to put outside a pub in the countryside. Some sign artists depict the plough as the constellation; this consists of seven stars and so leads to the name the Seven Stars found in Redcliffe, Bristol, Shincliffe, County Durham, Chancery Lane, Robertsbridge and High Holborn also Winfrith Dorset
Plough and Harrow, Drakes Broughton, Worcs: A combination of the two farming implements.
Porters Arms, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: (now closed) named for the local porters.
Printers Arms, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: (now closed) named for the local print industry.
Propeller, Croydon (now closed) and Bembridge.
Railway Inn, Wisbech: named for the local rail industry. (now closed)
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Ram Skin, Spalding, Lincolnshire (now closed). Named for the local wool industry, closed in 1970.
Rifle Volunteer, Oxhey village, Gunnislake etc.
Roadmaker, Gorsley and elsewhere.
Ropers Arms, Wisbech: (now closed) named for the former local rope making industry.
Ship carpenters Arms, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: (now closed) named for the local ship building industry.
Ship Inn from Irvine to Oundle. However, the Ship Inn in Styal, Cheshire, states that its derivation is from 'shippon', a cattle shed or manure shed.
Shipwrights Arms, Wisbech: (now closed) named for the local boatbuilding industry.
Sailor, Addingham near Ilkley; Jolly Sailor at St Athan and at Sandown, Isle of Wight.
Sailor's Return, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: (now closed) named for the local shipping industry.
Spade and Becket, Chatteris, (now closed) Isle of Ely, and Cambridge (closed), Downham Market (closed): a combination of two peat digging implements.
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Tappers Harker (Long Eaton, Nottingham): a railway worker who listened to the tone of a hammer being hit onto a railway wagon wheel, to check its soundness. Similar to the Wheeltappers and Shunters fictional pub of the 1970s show.
Three Jolly Butchers, Wisbech, Isle of Ely: named for the local meat industry.
Town and Gown Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, is named for the non-academic and academic communities of the city respectively.
Trowel and Hammer, Norwich : thought to be named after local bricklayers.
Two Brewers, Diss : takes its name from the beer makers.
Valiant Sailor, King's Lynn named for the mariners of this port.
Volunteers Arms, Llanidloes (closed). One of many pubs named after Militia or rifle volunteers etc.
Woodman or Woodman's Cottage Inn.
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Woolpack Banstead, Surrey and Wisbech, Isle of Ely. (now closed) Not an uncommon name in sheep country such as the Banstead Downs. Wisbech and the fens both raised sheep and exported the wool through the Port of Wisbech, named for the local sheep industry.
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Transport
Air
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Airman, (currently closed)Feltham, Middlesex, and Henlow, Bedfordshire: named owing to their proximity to the former London Air Park (latterly Hanworth Air Park) and RAF Henlow respectively.
Balloon, (closed) Stamford. The balloonist Mr. H.Green had made a number of ascents in the vicinity in previous years.
Canopus, Rochester, Kent: Named after the flying boats produced at the nearby Short Brothers aircraft factory (now demolished).
Comet, Hatfield, Hertfordshire: In the 1950s the pub sign depicted the de Havilland DH.88 wooden monoplane racer named "Grosvenor House", famous for its winning of the 1934 McRobertson Cup air race from England to Australia and for its distinctive Post Box red colour. Also known as the DH Comet, this plane is not a precursor of the famous civilian jet airliner of the same name, but rather of the WW2 fast bomber, the de Havilland Mosquito
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Flying Bedstead, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire: Name given to the prototype aircraft which eventually led to the development of the Harrier VTOL jet.
Flying Boat (now demolished) in Calshot, Hampshire, commemorated the part that the area played in the development of these aircraft between 1920 and 1940.
Harrier, a pub in Hucknall, and one in Hamble-le-Rice, Hampshire.
Hinkler road and pub in Thornhill, Hampshire, named after Bert Hinkler.
Red Arrow, Lutterworth, Leicestershire: a pub with a sloping triangular roof, named after the RAF aerobatics team. The pub was formerly called the "flying saucer" for its unusual shape, and has also been described as a Star Destroyer from the Star Wars films.
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Rail
A large number of pubs called the Railway, the Station, the Railway Hotel, etc. are situated near current or defunct rail stations.
Five stations on the London Underground system are named after pubs: Royal Oak, Elephant & Castle, Angel, Manor House, Swiss Cottage. The area of Maida Vale, which has a Bakerloo line station, is named after a pub called the "Heroes of Maida" after the Battle of Maida in 1806.
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Mainline stations named after pubs include Bat & Ball in Sevenoaks.
Atmospheric Railway, Starcross, Devon: after a failed project by Isambard Kingdom Brunel at that place.
Pubs called the Brunel, or something similar generally celebrate the great Victorian engineer.
Flying Scotsman, e.g. The Flying Scotsman, Kings Cross, London.
Golden Arrow, Folkestone, Kent is named after a luxury boat train of the Southern Railway and later British Railways, which linked London with Dover, where passengers took the ferry to Calais and boarded its French counterpart () to Paris.
Pubs called The Great Western or Great Western Hotel, are named after Isembard Kingdom Brunel's Great Western Railway. Examples range form Wolverhampton, West Midlands to Exeter, Devon,
Head of Steam. A number of pubs located close to mainline rail stations, referring to steam locomotives.
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King and Castle (now closed; near Stroud, Gloucestershire): after the King and Castle classes of steam engines on the Great Western Railway.
A number of Mallards are named after the world's fastest locomotive, not the bird.
Railway and Bicycle, next to the railway station in Sevenoaks, Kent.
Reckless Engineer: Situated outside the entrance to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, formerly the Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Rocket, Liverpool: After Robert Stephenson's Rocket, a pioneering steam locomotive which ran on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It gives its name to the Rocket Roundabout, a busy traffic intersection at the end of the M62.
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Road
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Bullnose Morris, Cowley, Oxfordshire: Named after the motor cars once produced at the nearby factory.
Coach and Horses: A simple and common name found from Clerkenwell to Kew, Soho to Portsmouth.
Four in Hand Method of reining horses so four may be controlled by a single coach driver.
Highway Inn, Burford. On the King's Highway.
I am the Only Running Footman, Mayfair, London W1; named after a servant employed by the wealthy to run ahead of their carriages and pay tolls.
Perseverance: Name of a stage coach. The Perseverance in Bedford probably alludes to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Bedford being Mr Bunyan's home town.
Scotchman and his Pack, Bristol. Nothing to do with Scotland. The pub is situated at the bottom of the very steep St Michael's Hill. Vehicles going up the hill were prevented from rolling downwards by means of wooden wedges, called scotches, placed behind the wheels by a scotchman who carried the scotches in a pack.
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Sedan Chair, Bristol, which like the Two Chairmen, London, is named after the carriers of sedan chairs.
Steamer, Welwyn, Hertfordshire: It is found at the top of a steep hill where carriers required an extra horse (a cock-horse) to help get the wagon up the hill. After its exertion the cock-horse could be seen standing steaming on a cold day as its sweat evaporated.
Terminus: Usually found where a tram route once terminated, sited near the tram terminus.
Traveller's Rest, Northfield, Birmingham: a historic coaching inn on the main road to Bristol.
Waggon and Horses: Another simple transport name (prior to American influence, the British English spelling of 'wagon' featured a double 'g', retained on pub signs such as this one).
Wait for the Waggon, Bedford and Wyboston, Bedfordshire: This is the name of the regimental march of The Royal Corps of Transport (now The Royal Logistic Corps), whose troops frequently use this route; the latter is sited on the Great North Road.
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Water
Navigation: usually situated alongside a canal towpath. Many pubs take their names from the company which once owned a nearby railway line, canal or navigation.
Black Buoy, Wivenhoe. Originally named after King Charles II and later renamed after a type of Channel marker buoy, as the owners had nautical connections.
Grand Junction, for the canal in Bulbourne, Hertfordshire; High Holborn and Harlesden, London
Grand Union, for the canal in Westbourne Park, Camden and Maida Vale
Great Northern, for the Great Northern Railway, in Langley Mill and Thackley
Great Western, for the Great Western Railway, in Paddington, Yeovil and Wolverhampton
Locks Inn, Geldeston. Named for the nearby locks.
North Western: London and North Western Railway Company
Shroppie Fly: Audlem, named after a type of canalboat called a 'Shropshire Fly'
Trent Navigation: for the Trent Navigation Company
Fellows, Morton and Clayton: for the Fellows Morton & Clayton Canal Company
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Tide End Cottage: in Teddington, at the end of the tidal reach of the River Thames
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Other
Air Balloon, Birdlip, Gloucestershire. Near a field where early ascents were made.
Goat and Tricycle, Bournemouth, Dorset, a humorous modern name.
Rusty Bicycle, new name of the Eagle in Oxford. Oxford's students often cycle round the town.
Tram Depot, Cambridge: Occupies the building which once was the stables of Cambridge's tramway depot.
Zeppelin Shelter, Aldgate, London, circa 1894, located opposite solid railway warehouses that were used in World War One (1914–1918) as East End civilian air raid shelters.
Most common
An authoritative list of the most common pub names in Great Britain is hard to establish, owing to ambiguity in what classifies as a pub as opposed to a licensed restaurant or nightclub, and so lists of this form tend to vary hugely. The two surveys most often cited, both taken in 2007, are by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) and CAMRA.
According to BBPA, the most common names are:
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Red Lion (759)
Royal Oak (626)
White Hart (427)
Rose and Crown (326)
King's Head (310)
King's Arms (284)
Queen's Head (278)
The Crown (261)
and according to CAMRA they are:
Crown (704)
Red Lion (668)
Royal Oak (541)
Swan (451)
White Hart (431)
Railway (420)
Plough (413)
White Horse (379)
Bell (378)
New Inn (372)
A more current listing can be found on the Pubs Galore site, updated daily as pubs open/close and change names. As of 18 December 2019, the top 10 were:
Red Lion (558)
Crown (509)
Royal Oak (432)
White Hart (317)
Swan (296)
Plough (294)
Railway (294)
White Horse (286)
Kings Arms (245)
Ship (244)
The number of each is given in brackets.
Curiosities
The pubs with the shortest and longest names in Britain are both in Stalybridge: Q and The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn. The longest name of a London pub, I am the Only Running Footman, was used as the title of a mystery novel by Martha Grimes.
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There is a "pub with no name" in Southover Street, Brighton, and another near to Petersfield, Hampshire, so known (despite having an actual name), because its sign on the nearest main road has been missing for many years.
The Salley Pussey's Inn at Royal Wootton Bassett is said to have been named after Sarah Purse, whose family owned The Wheatsheaf pub in the 19th century. In the 1970s the name was changed to the Salley Pussey's.
See also
List of pubs in Australia
List of pubs in the United Kingdom
References
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Sources
Brewer, E. Cobham (1898) Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. London: Cassell and Co.
Cox, Barrie (1994) English Inn and Tavern Names. Nottingham: Centre for English Name Studies,
Dunkling, Leslie (1994) Pub Names of Britain, London: Orion (1994),
Dunkling, Leslie & Wright, Gordon (2006) The Dictionary of Pub Names. Ware: Wordsworth Editions
Myrddin ap Dafydd (1992) Welsh Pub Names. Llanrwst: Gwasg Carreg Gwalch (Translation of: Enwau tafarnau Cymru)
Wright, Gordon & Curtis, Brian J. (1995) Inns and Pubs of Nottinghamshire: the stories behind the names. Nottingham: Nottinghamshire County Council
Further reading
[Anonymous] (1969) Inn Signs: their history and meaning. London: the Brewers' Society
Douch, H. L. (1966) Old Cornish Inns and their place in the social history of the County. Truro: D. Bradford Barton
Richardson, A. E. (1934) The Old Inns of England. London: B. T. Batsford
External links
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The Inn Sign Society
Collection of images of Pub Signs
Brewery Arts, a short history of studio inn signs
Pubs
Names
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The Battle of Cape Esperance, also known as the Second Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , took place on 11–12 October 1942, in the Pacific campaign of World War II between the Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy. The naval battle was the second of four major surface engagements during the Guadalcanal campaign and took place at the entrance to the strait between Savo Island and Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Cape Esperance is the northernmost point on Guadalcanal, and the battle took its name from this point.
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On the night of 11 October, Japanese naval forces in the Solomon Islands area—under the command of Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa—sent a major supply and reinforcement convoy to their forces on Guadalcanal. The convoy consisted of two seaplane tenders and six destroyers and was commanded by Rear Admiral Takatsugu Jojima. At the same time, but in a separate operation, three heavy cruisers and two destroyers—under the command of Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō—were to bombard the Allied airfield on Guadalcanal (called Henderson Field by the Allies) with the object of destroying Allied aircraft and the airfield's facilities.
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Shortly before midnight on 11 October, a U.S. force of four cruisers and five destroyers—under the command of Rear Admiral Norman Scott—intercepted Gotō's force as it approached Savo Island near Guadalcanal. Taking the Japanese by surprise, Scott's warships sank one of Gotō's cruisers and one of his destroyers, heavily damaged another cruiser, mortally wounded Gotō, and forced the rest of Gotō's warships to abandon the bombardment mission and retreat. During the exchange of gunfire, one of Scott's destroyers was sunk and one cruiser and another destroyer were heavily damaged. In the meantime, the Japanese supply convoy successfully completed unloading at Guadalcanal and began its return journey without being discovered by Scott's force. Later on the morning of 12 October, four Japanese destroyers from the supply convoy turned back to assist Gotō's retreating, damaged warships. Air attacks by U.S. aircraft from Henderson Field sank two of these destroyers later that day.
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As with the preceding naval engagements around Guadalcanal and to be expected from a battle of relatively limited size, the strategic outcome was inconclusive because neither the Japanese nor United States navies secured operational control of the waters around Guadalcanal as a result of this action and a heavy bombardment operation against Henderson Field would be conducted soon after, causing severe destruction in the 3 nights between the 13 and 16 October. However, the Battle of Cape Esperance provided a significant morale boost to the U.S. Navy after its disastrous defeat at the Battle of Savo Island.
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Background
On 7 August 1942, Allied forces (primarily U.S.) landed on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida Islands in the Solomon Islands. The objective was to deny the islands to the Japanese as bases for threatening the supply routes between the U.S. and Australia, and secure starting points for a campaign to isolate the major Japanese base at Rabaul while also supporting the Allied New Guinea campaign. The Guadalcanal campaign would last six months.
Taking the Japanese by surprise, by nightfall on 8 August, the Allied forces, mainly consisting of U.S. Marines, had secured Tulagi and nearby small islands, as well as an airfield under construction at Lunga Point on Guadalcanal (later completed and named Henderson Field). Allied aircraft operating out of Henderson became known as the "Cactus Air Force" (CAF) after the Allied codename for Guadalcanal.
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In response, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters assigned the Imperial Japanese Army's 17th Army—a corps-sized formation headquartered at Rabaul under Lieutenant-General Harukichi Hyakutake—with the task of retaking Guadalcanal. On 19 August, various units of the 17th Army began to arrive on the island.
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Due to the threat posed by Allied aircraft, the Japanese were unable to use large, slow transport ships to deliver their troops and supplies to the island, and warships were used instead. These ships—mainly light cruisers and destroyers—were usually able to make the round trip down "the Slot" to Guadalcanal and back in a single night, thereby minimizing their exposure to air attacks. Delivering troops in this manner, however, prevented most of the heavy equipment and supplies, such as heavy artillery, vehicles, and much food and ammunition, from being delivered. In addition, they expended destroyers, which were desperately needed for commerce defense. These high-speed runs occurred throughout the campaign and were later called the "Tokyo Express" by the Allies and "Rat Transportation" by the Japanese.
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Due to the heavier concentration of Japanese surface combat vessels and their well-positioned logistical base at Simpson Harbor, Rabaul, and their victory at the Battle of Savo Island in early August, the Japanese had established operational control over the waters around Guadalcanal at night. However, any Japanese ship remaining within range—about —of American aircraft at Henderson Field, during the daylight hours, was in danger of damaging air attacks. This persisted for the months of August and September, 1942. The presence of Admiral Scott's task force at Cape Esperance represented the U.S. Navy's first major attempt to wrest night time operational control of waters around Guadalcanal away from the Japanese.
The first attempt by the Japanese Army to recapture Henderson Field was on 21 August, in the Battle of the Tenaru, and the next, the Battle of Edson's Ridge, from 12–14 September; both failed.
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The Japanese set their next major attempt to recapture Henderson Field for 20 October and moved most of the 2nd and 38th infantry divisions, totalling 17,500 troops, from the Dutch East Indies to Rabaul in preparation for delivering them to Guadalcanal. From 14 September to 9 October, numerous Tokyo Express runs delivered troops from the Japanese 2nd Infantry Division as well as Hyakutake to Guadalcanal. In addition to cruisers and destroyers, some of these runs included the seaplane carrier , which delivered heavy equipment to the island including vehicles and heavy artillery other warships could not carry because of space limitations. The Japanese Navy promised to support the Army's planned offensive by delivering the necessary troops, equipment, and supplies to the island, and by stepping up air attacks on Henderson Field and sending warships to bombard the airfield.
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In the meantime, Major General Millard F. Harmon—commander of United States Army forces in the South Pacific—convinced Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley—overall commander of Allied forces in the South Pacific—that the marines on Guadalcanal needed to be reinforced immediately if the Allies were to successfully defend the island from the next expected Japanese offensive. Thus, on 8 October, the 2,837 men of the 164th Infantry Regiment from the U.S. Army's Americal Division boarded ships at New Caledonia for the trip to Guadalcanal with a projected arrival date of 13 October.
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To protect the transports carrying the 164th to Guadalcanal, Ghormley ordered Task Force 64 (TF 64), consisting of four cruisers (, , , and ) and five destroyers (, , , , and ) under U.S. Rear Admiral Norman Scott, to intercept and combat any Japanese ships approaching Guadalcanal and threatening the convoy. Scott conducted one night battle practice with his ships on 8 October, then took station south of Guadalcanal near Rennell Island on 9 October, to await word of any Japanese naval movement toward the southern Solomons.
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Continuing with preparations for the October offensive, Japanese Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa's Eighth Fleet staff, headquartered at Rabaul, scheduled a large and important Tokyo Express supply run for the night of 11 October. Nisshin would be joined by the seaplane carrier to deliver 728 soldiers, four large howitzers, two field guns, one anti-aircraft gun, and a large assortment of ammunition and other equipment from the Japanese naval bases in the Shortland Islands and at Buin, Bougainville, to Guadalcanal. Six destroyers, five of them carrying troops, would accompany Nisshin and Chitose. The supply convoy—called the "Reinforcement Group" by the Japanese—was under the command of Rear Admiral Takatsugu Jojima. At the same time but in a separate operation, the three heavy cruisers of Cruiser Division 6 (CruDiv6)—, , and , all participants in the Battle of Savo Island, under the command of Rear Admiral Aritomo Gotō—were to bombard Henderson Field with special explosive shells with the
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object of destroying the CAF and the airfield's facilities. Two screening destroyers— and —accompanied CruDiv6. Since U.S. Navy warships had yet to attempt to interdict any Tokyo Express missions to Guadalcanal, the Japanese were not expecting any opposition from U.S. naval surface forces that night.
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Battle
Prelude
At 08:00, on 11 October, Jojima's reinforcement group departed the Shortland Islands anchorage to begin their run down the Slot to Guadalcanal. The six destroyers that accompanied Nisshin and Chitose were , , , , , and . Gotō departed the Shortland Islands for Guadalcanal at 14:00 the same day.
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To protect the reinforcement group's approach to Guadalcanal from the CAF, the Japanese 11th Air Fleet, based at Rabaul, Kavieng, and Buin, planned two air strikes on Henderson Field for 11 October. A "fighter sweep" of 17 Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero fighters swept over Henderson Field just after mid-day but failed to engage any U.S. aircraft. Forty-five minutes later, the second wave—45 Mitsubishi G4M2 "Betty" bombers and 30 Zeros—arrived over Henderson Field. In an ensuing air battle with the CAF, one G4M and two U.S. fighters were downed. Although the Japanese attacks failed to inflict significant damage, they did prevent CAF bombers from finding and attacking the reinforcement group. As the reinforcement group transited the Slot, relays of 11th Air Fleet Zeros from Buin provided escort. Emphasizing the importance of this convoy for Japanese plans, the last flight of the day was ordered to remain on station over the convoy until darkness, then ditch their aircraft and await pickup by the
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reinforcement group's destroyers. All six Zeros ditched; only one pilot was recovered.
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Allied reconnaissance aircraft from Guadalcanal sighted Jojima's supply convoy between Kolombangara and Choiseul in the Slot at 14:45 on the same day, and reported it as two "cruisers" and six destroyers. Gotō's force—following the convoy—was not sighted. In response to the sighting of Jojima's force, at 16:07 Scott turned toward Guadalcanal for an interception.
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Scott crafted a simple battle plan for the expected engagement. His ships would steam in column with his destroyers at the front and rear of his cruiser column, searching across a 300 degree arc with SG surface radar in an effort to gain positional advantage on the approaching enemy force. The destroyers were to illuminate any targets with searchlights and discharge torpedoes while the cruisers were to open fire at any available targets without awaiting orders. The cruiser's float aircraft, launched in advance, were to find and illuminate the Japanese warships with flares. Although Helena and Boise carried the new, greatly improved SG radar, Scott chose San Francisco as his flagship.
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At 22:00, as Scott's ships neared Cape Hunter at the northwest end of Guadalcanal, three of Scott's cruisers launched floatplanes. One crashed on takeoff, but the other two patrolled over Savo Island, Guadalcanal, and Ironbottom Sound. As the floatplanes were launched, Jojima's force was just passing around the mountainous northwestern shoulder of Guadalcanal, and neither force sighted each other. At 22:20, Jojima radioed Gotō and told him no U.S. ships were in the vicinity. Although Jojima's force later heard Scott's floatplanes overhead while unloading along the north shore of Guadalcanal, they failed to report this to Gotō.
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At 22:33, just after passing Cape Esperance, Scott's ships assumed battle formation. The column was led by Farenholt, Duncan, and Laffey, and followed by San Francisco, Boise, Salt Lake City, and Helena. Buchanan and McCalla brought up the rear. The distance between each ship ranged from . Visibility was poor because the moon had already set, leaving no ambient light and no visible sea horizon.
Gotō's force passed through several rain squalls as they approached Guadalcanal at . Gotō's flagship Aoba led the Japanese cruisers in column, followed by Furutaka and Kinugasa. Fubuki was starboard of Aoba and Hatsuyuki to port. At 23:30, Gotō's ships emerged from the last rain squall and began appearing on the radar scopes of Helena and Salt Lake City. The Japanese, however, whose warships were not equipped with radar, remained unaware of Scott's presence.
Order of battle
Imperial Japanese Navy
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1226_20
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3 heavy cruisers
1 : (S)
2 : (dd),
18 x 8-inch guns
12 x 4.7-inch guns
24 x 24-inch torpedo tubes
2 destroyers: (S),
12 x 5-inch guns
18 x 24-inch torpedo tubes
United States Navy
2 heavy cruisers
1 :
1 : (d)
19 x 8-inch guns
16 x 5-inch/25cal low velocity/AA guns
6 x 21-inch torpedo tubes
2 light cruisers: (dd),
30 x 6-inch guns
8 x 5-inch guns
8 x 5-inch/25cal low velocity/AA guns
5 destroyers
3 : , (S),
2 : (dd),
20 x 5-inch guns
40 x 21-inch torpedo tubes
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1226_21
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Action
At 23:00, the San Francisco aircraft spotted Jojima's force off Guadalcanal and reported it to Scott. Scott, believing more Japanese ships were likely still on the way, continued his course towards the west side of Savo Island. At 23:33, Scott ordered his column to turn towards the southwest to a heading of 230°. All of Scott's ships understood the order as a column movement except Scott's own ship, San Francisco. As the three lead U.S. destroyers executed the column movement, San Francisco turned simultaneously. Boise—following immediately behind—followed San Francisco, thereby throwing the three van destroyers out of formation.
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1226_22
|
At 23:32, Helenas radar showed the Japanese warships to be about away. At 23:35, Boises and Duncans radars also detected Gotō's ships. Between 23:42 and 23:44, Helena and Boise reported their contacts to Scott on San Francisco who mistakenly believed the two cruisers were actually tracking the three U.S. destroyers that were thrown out of formation during the column turn. Scott radioed Farenholt to ask if the destroyer was attempting to resume its station at the front of the column. Farenholt replied, "Affirmative, coming up on your starboard side," further confirming Scott's belief that the radar contacts were his own destroyers.
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1226_23
|
At 23:45, Farenholt and Laffey—still unaware of Gotō's approaching warships—increased speed to resume their stations at the front of the U.S. column. Duncans crew, however, thinking that Farenholt and Laffey were commencing an attack on the Japanese warships, increased speed to launch a solitary torpedo attack on Gotō's force without telling Scott what they were doing. San Franciscos radar registered the Japanese ships, but Scott was not informed of the sighting. By 23:45, Gotō's ships were only away from Scott's formation and visible to Helenas and Salt Lake Citys lookouts. The U.S. formation at this point was in position to cross the T of the Japanese formation, giving Scott's ships a significant tactical advantage. At 23:46, still assuming that Scott was aware of the rapidly approaching Japanese warships, Helena radioed for permission to open fire, using the general procedure request, "Interrogatory Roger" (meaning, basically, "Are we clear to act?"). Scott answered with, "Roger",
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1226_24
|
meaning only that the message was received, not that he was confirming the request to act. Upon receipt of Scott's "Roger", Helena—thinking they now had permission—opened fire, quickly followed by Boise, Salt Lake City, and to Scott's further surprise, San Francisco.
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1226_25
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Gotō's force was taken almost completely by surprise. At 23:43, Aobas lookouts sighted Scott's force, but Gotō assumed that they were Jojima's ships. Two minutes later, Aobas lookouts identified the ships as American, but Gotō remained skeptical and directed his ships to flash identification signals. As Aobas crew executed Gotō's order, the first American salvo smashed into Aobas superstructure. Aoba was quickly hit by up to 40 shells from Helena, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Farenholt, and Laffey. The shell hits heavily damaged Aobas communications systems and demolished two of her main gun turrets as well as her main gun director. Several large-caliber projectiles passed through Aobas flag bridge without exploding, but the force of their passage killed many men and mortally wounded Gotō.
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1226_26
|
Scott—still unsure who his ships were firing at, and afraid they might be firing on his own destroyers—ordered a ceasefire at 23:47, although not every ship complied. Scott ordered Farenholt to flash her recognition signals and upon observing that Farenholt was close to his formation, he ordered the fire resumed at 23:51.
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1226_27
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Aoba, continuing to receive damaging hits, turned to starboard to head away from Scott's formation and began making a smoke screen which led most of the Americans to believe that she was sinking. Scott's ships shifted their fire to Furutaka, which was following behind Aoba. At 23:49, Furutaka was hit in her torpedo tubes, igniting a large fire that attracted even more shellfire from the US ships. At 23:58, a torpedo from Buchanan hit Furutaka in her forward engine room, causing severe damage. During this time, San Francisco and Boise sighted Fubuki about away and raked her with shellfire, joined soon by most of the rest of Scott's formation. Heavily damaged, Fubuki began to sink. Kinugasa and Hatsuyuki chose turning to port rather than starboard and escaped the Americans' immediate attention.
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