Pubs with Bruce

Carlisle, Cumbria. Carlisle is Cumbria's only city, and is located 10 miles south of the Scottish border. The Sportsman is widely recognized as Carlisle's oldest recorded pub, with historical documentation showing it has been pouring pints since 1747. It is built on the site of the former medieval Blackfriars Convent, a 13th century Dominican Monastery. Before adopting it's current name in the mid-19th century, it went through several name changes - thr Guy Earl of Warwick (

Cartmel, Cumbria. This pub is a historic Grade II listed coaching inn dating back to the early 18th century, although CAMRA lists that a drinking establishment has existed on this site for nearly 900 years. Located on the village square of Cartmel (village population approximately 300), it has served as a central hub for travelers, racegoers, and locals for hundreds of years, and as a meeting place for local traders, farmers, and parish officials. Throughout the 1800s the pub

Ambleside, Cumbria. Ambleside is a bustling market town and tourist hub located at the northern head of Windermere, Englands largest natural lake. The Unicorn is the oldest traditional pub in town, tracing its origins back to the 1450s. Located on North Road - which served as the original coaching road through town - the inn has spent over half a millennium welcoming weary travelers, locals, and walkers exploring the Lake District fells. Outside there is a picturesque little

Keswick, Cumbria. Sitting on Pack Horse Court, this land was originally a 13th century burgage yard. Burgages were long, narrow plots of land rented out by a local Lord or the King. Tenants lived in timber framed houses fronting the main street and used the deep yard behind for their craft, trade, or livestock. The building dates back to the 17th century, and was originally established as a traditional coaching inn and livery yard to service the bustling trade routes cutting

Keswick, Cumbria. A historic 18th century coaching inn that has stood as the cornerstone of the town's social and commercial life for centuries, located on a corner of Main Street. In the 18th century it was the primary headquarters for a thriving packhorse trade, acting as a crucial transit point for goods moving through the rugged Lake District fells. As roads improved, the inn transitioned into a renowned posting establishment, welcoming travellers, traders, and visitors t

Keswick. Cumbria. Established in 1655, it was originally christened The George and Dragon. The suffix "and Dragon" was dropped following the accession of King George I to the throne in 1715, leaving it as The George. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I the pub was known as a notorious trading haunt for unscrupulous merchants dealing in stolen plumbago (graphite), which was plundered from the world famous mines in nearby Borrowdale. It was here that James Radclyffe, the 3rd

Cockermouth, Cumbria. The earliest official records point to a pub or coaching inn operating on this location as far back as the late 17th/early 18th century. In the 18th century the !and behind the pub was used by local weavers. By 1811 the weaving trade had shifted and the area behind the pub operated as a timberyard. Horses were led through the narrow archway beside the pub to reach the back yard, a feature that gave rise to local staff folklore regarding the sound of phan

Whitehaven, Cumbria. A historic three-story Georgian public house located on the harbourside of Whitehaven, the building is deeply tied to the town's history as a prominent industrial, maritime port. Over the years the pub has operated under many names - the Black's Head in 1787, The Schooner in 1826, the New Lighthouse Inn in 1829, The British Standard in 1860, then The Royal Standard, The Waterfront, and finally back to the Royal Standard in 2021. In its heyday the establis

Cockermouth, Cumbria. This is a departure from my usual posts, but this is a local/regional brewery I wanted to talk about. It was founded in 1828 and renowned for its ales brewed with pure Lakeland water. It was originally established in the small Cumbrian town of Lorton, with operations being relocated to Cockermouth in 1874, situated beneath the shadow of the Norman fortress, Cockermouth Castle. In 1884 an artisan well was sunk into the castle grounds, providing a supply o

Cockermouth, Cumbria. The earliest parts of the building date back to at least the 16th or 17th century, and historians believe it was originally constructed as a grand private residence for a wealthy local merchant. By 1811 local records show the premises operating as the Ship Hotel. Later in the 19th century it became a traditional public house known as the Ship Inn. Eventually it was renamed the Castle Bar, due to its close proximity to the medieval Cockermouth Castle. The

Cockermouth, Cumbria. Local church records mention a "Swan Inn" as early as 1668, and consisted of three adjoining cottages. Licensing and brewing records note the tavern operating continuously since at least 1743. The building long had connections to nearby All Saints Church, with the right hand side of the property originally serving as a hospice or "poor house" for poor windows and unmarried women. Some of the low timber beams are marked with "anti-witch marks" carved int

Ennerdale Bridge (population approximately 220), Cumbria. This lovely Hamlet pub dates back to 1538, and has long been a vital stopover for walkers on Alfred Wainwright's iconic Coast to Coast Walk. It was originally known as The White Bear. The pub's present name comes from its connection to the Eskdale and Ennerdale Foxhounds (The Hunt Pack), one of the Lake District's traditional "fell-packs", consolidated in 1857. Unlike the elite, horse- mounted fox hunts of lowland Engl

Cumbria. After a lovely walk around Loweswater, we negotiated our way down a typical Lake District rat run to arrive at this wonderful country inn. First documented in 1549, the building originally grew from a "Church Sty" - a stable where priests visiting neighboring St. Bartholomew's Church would keep their horses during clerical visits to the valley. The property, originally known as "Kirkstall" (a place accommodating church visitors), belonged to the St. Bees Priory. Afte

Exeter. Dates back to 1378 when it was known as The Old White Hart. Located on South Street just inside the line of the ancient Roman City walls, it has stood as a witness to centuries of Devon history - surviving everything from medieval plagues to the devastating German Baedecker raids of 1942. Between 1418 and 1442 it was the private residence of William Wynard, the Recorder of Exeter. During this time it was a commercial inn known as The Blue Boar - the heraldic badge of

Exeter. Located near the Exeter St. Davids railway station, this is widely regarded as one of Britain's grandest Wetherspoon pubs. It was built in 1810 as a private mansion named Elmfield House. During the mid-19th century the legendary Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel used it as his base of operations while surveying and overseeing the construction of the Great Western Railway (don't get me started!) though Devon. In 1923 the property was converted and opened to th

Exeter. Built in 1803 by Richard Sercombe and incorporating a former ferryman's cottage, it was originally known as The Fountain Inn. Tragedy struck 20 years later when Richard's wife Elizabeth drowned in the River Exe. Sadly, Richard passed away four weeks later. The adjoining "Prospect Steps" were constructed in 1835, cut into the cliffside during a period of major structural expansion along the Quay. In 1862 Victorian Magistrates cautioned the landlord over links to prosti

Exeter. The pub abuts Exeter's original Roman city walls, which date back to around 200 AD. It opened as the Crown and Sceptre Inn in 1778. The inn served as a crucial gateway checkpoint for travellers entering Exeter from North Devon. Because North Street is so steep, passengers riding in horse-drawn coaches would disembark at the inn to lighten the load so the horses could make the climb. The building later served as a cotton mill during the height of the regional textile t

Liverpool. The building dates back to 1820, with the facade being renovated around 1900. The exterior features a classic Tetley lantern hanging above the corner door, and three etched glass windows promoting the Liverpool Brewing Company. The interior features a classic sloping floor, wood paneling, and a decorative plasterwork ceiling supported by historic iron columns with decorative capitals. A disused entrance along Vernon Street reveals colorful floor to ceiling Victoria

Exeter. Nestled next to the historic Guildhall, a tavern has stood on this site since at least 1289, when city authorities first granted the property owner the right to lean a structural beam against the Guildhall wall. This was known as "beam rent", and the owners paid one penny per year. During the reign of Charles II this was doubled to two pennies. This custom is still recognized today. The name"The Turk's Head" is believed to have first appeared in 1569 when the property

Burgh Island, South Hams. Built in 1336, the structure that now houses the pub is thought to have originally served as the guest housing or refectory for the monks living on the island. They brewed mead and supplemented their self-sustaining diets with locally caught pilchards from the surrounding waters. Following the dissolution of the monastery the island became a hub for a small population of local fishermen who specialized in pilchard fishing. A "huers' hut" was construc