Which is really England’s oldest pub? Tree-ring dating helps settle debate
Summary
An archaeologist from Historic England used a scientific method called tree-ring dating to check the age of old pubs in England. He found that the George Inn in Somerset, which has been a pub since about 1430, is the oldest continuously used pub, and many pubs claiming to be older are not accurate.Key Facts
- Historic England's archaeologist, Dr. James Wright, studied more than 24 pubs claiming to be England’s oldest.
- Tree-ring dating (dendrochronology) was used to find out when the wooden beams in pubs were cut to estimate their age.
- The George Inn in Norton St Philip, Somerset, has been an inn since around 1430-1432, making it England’s oldest confirmed pub.
- Many pubs say they are over 1,000 years old, but there is no strong evidence to support these claims.
- Ye Olde Fighting Cocks and Bingley Arms claim origins back to Viking times, but these claims are based on marketing, not facts.
- No pubs are mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous historical record from 1086, despite some pubs’ claims.
- The George Inn was built by monks from Hinton Priory in the 14th century.
- Dr. Wright says some pubs started as different buildings, like dovecotes, and only became pubs much later.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
