Bristol. One of 31 pubs in the UK with this name. Originally built in 1722 (1725?) by architect John Strahan as a pair of attached Georgian style houses for merchants on busy Prince Street. In 1777 it was converted into a pub called The Shakespeare to serve the needs of the dock workers and warehouse men at the adjoining port. The name was probably derived from its proximity to the nearby Theatre Royal (or the Bristol Old Vic where his plays were performed). In 1784 it was the location of the first meeting of the Beaufort Lodge of Freemasons. The interior has two rooms separated by the small central bar, with lots of old photographs adorning the beautiful paneled walls. Off to the right of the bar is curved mahogany staircase. A Greene King pub, I went with their Yardbird Pale Ale (Bird Lives!) A nice beginning to my pub crawl in Bristol.