Being a fan of real ale takes me to many pubs around the country and by and large these will have a traditional pub sign hanging outside.

The origin of the pub sign goes back to Roman times when taverns would hang outside a bunch of vine leaves or similar to indicate the their trade. In 1393 King Richard II passed an Act compelling all such premises to have a sign outside. Over the years I have photographed over five hundred of these unique British objects.

It is said that the commonest pub sign in Britain is the Red Lion, but so far I have only photographed three. My collection includes seven Castles, seven Ships and five Royal Oaks.

Pub signs are a great display of the signwriters and painters skills and thankfully the art seems to continue, despite the intrusion of modern names such as Slug and Lettuce and branded food pubs.

Below I have selected 10 unusual or particularly decorative signs with a bit of history which I have been able to research.

1. The Green Man and Black’s Head Royal Hotel – Ashbourne.

Possibly at one time the longest pub name in England, the pub dates from 1750. The ‘gallows’ sign across the road is now quite rare and along with the building is Grade II listed. The pub, at which Dr Johnson stayed on a number of occasions has been closed for some years, but has now reopened as ‘The Green Man’.

2. Bishop Blaize – Richmond.

Pubs are named after Kings, Queens, Lords and Ladies and also religious figures like Bishop Blaize. He was an Armenian Saint who is the Patron Saint of Woolcombers. The sign I show is in Richmond, Yorkshire, a town very much based on the wool trade.

3. Isaac Merritt – Paignton.

The pub chain Wetherspoons – though not to everyone’s taste – do take time and effort to name their pubs after local people and places. The Isaac Merritt in Paignton is one such example. The pub sign shows Isaac Merritt Singer, an American businessman and founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The family lived at nearby Oldway Mansion. I am not sure why the pub doesn’t use his last name except that in his early years he was an actor using Isaac Merritt as a stage name.

4. Lyttleton Arms – North London.

Some pubs are named after newer characters or celebrities. The Lyttleton Arms in North London is named after Humphrey Lyttleton, jazz musician and radio compere. The pub is suitably close to Mornington Cresent a ‘game’ played on radio’s ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue’ which was chaired by Lyttleton  from series 2 until his death in 2008.

5. Marquis of Granby.

There are pubs all over the country named after the Marquis which was the title of the eldest son of the Duke of Rutland. John Manners who died in 1770 was the eldest son of the 3^rd Duke. In 1758 the King appointed him colonel of the Royal Horse Guards. As Colonel, he provided for his most capable soldiers such that when they could no longer be of service to the Regiment, he would finance them to start a pub, the sole condition being that the Pub was to be named “The Marquis of Granby” after him.

6. The Philharmonic – Liverpool.

Some pubs have a simple sign with just the name and perhaps some decoration. One such pub is The Philharmonic Dining Rooms,  Liverpool known locally as ‘The Phil’. However, the simplicity of the outside sign is more than compensated for by the outstanding design of the building – both inside and outside. The main entrance has ornate gates in an Art Nouveau style, and inside is decorated with musical themes including rooms called Brahms and Lizst. One outstanding feature is the rose marble urinals in the Gents. Paul McCartney played in the pub as a young man.

7. Queen’s Head.

The Queen’s and the Queen’s Head are popular names for pubs everywhere. The one shown is in Chester-le-Street and the Queen here in Anne. Elizabeth I and Victoria are also common as are certain wives of Henry VIII. Queen Anne reigned for just twelve years from 1702-1714. She was married to Prince George of Denmark (also seen occasionally on pubs) and had seventeen children, none of whom survived her.

8. Loggerheads – Shrewsbury.

Many pubs have a Coat of Arms as their sign, often from a local Lord or landowner. The Loggerheads in Shrewsbury is named after the three animals on the town Coat of Arms. A loggerhead, in heraldry, means a leopard‘s head, its naming derived from the carving of such faces on the ends of logs, including battering rams.

9. Cittie of Yorke – London.

The Cittie of Yorke in Holborn, London looks for all the world to be a very old pub. As a pub on the site it goes back to 1430, but the present Grade II listed building is a rebuilding from the 1920’s. The interior boasts a long hall formerly known as Henneky’s Long Bar and also there are Victorian Style cubicles. Dylan Thomas composed an ode to the Long Bar. The pub is now in fact run by a Yorkshire Brewery, Sam Smiths, and sells some of the cheapest beer in the city centre.

10. King William.

Countless pubs in this country are named after various Kings. Those named after William appear mostly to be William III and IV. The one in my picture, in Shildon County Durham would appear to be William III. He was the Protestant William of Orange in Holland and invaded this country in 1688 at the invitation of certain politicians who feared a Catholic revival. He landed at Brixham, Devon on 5^th November. He was the only king to be a joint monarch (with his wife Mary III) and ruled on after her death until 1702 when he was succeeded by Queen Anne (see above).

NEXT TIME – PUBS NAMED AFTER LOCAL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES