Southampton. The foundation and underlying vault of this building likely dates back to the 12th century, with the cellars being of Norman vintage. It was probably the Lion Inn and the New Inn before taking on its current name. The main body of the building is of Tudor origin built in the late 15th/early 16th century and has Victorian frontage. They were first licensed to sell alcohol in 1552. It claims to be the scene of the trial in 1415 of those who conspired against Henry V, who were found guilty and executed outside the nearby Bargate. However this appears to be a local legend as the dates do not line up. During his exile in the mid 1800s Juan Manuel de Rosas, the former governor of Buenos Aires, frequented the pub. It was damaged during WWII and rebuilt in 1952. And of course with a pub of this age there are alleged to be several ghosts on the premises.

The interior certainly has all the looks of an old pub. Lots of dark wood beams, tall vaulted ceilings, and medieval armor. The main room past the small front bar is long and narrow, and narrow steps lead up to a small mezzanine level which gives a nice view over the pub. And there are a few picnic tables on the sidewalk in front of the building which were quite nice on a sunny day. During my several visits over the week (the pub was one minute from our flat) I tasted all three cask ales on tap - Flacks Double Drop (from Flack Manor Brewery in Romse, north of Southampton, brewed with Maris Otter malts and Sovereign hops), Morland Original Bitter (brewed by Greene King) and Summer Lighting (from Hop Back Brewery in Salisbury).