Origins and Oddities of English Inn Signs

The speaker, Michael Astrop, has a seemingly unlimited knowledge of public houses dating from Roman times to the present day.  As a member of the English Inn Society, Michael is only too pleased to share his knowledge.  He captivates his audience and invites them to conjecture about the meanings of the numerous signs which swing, dangle and project from the fronts of our many watering holes.

Michael explained the differences between ale houses, taverns and inns and solved a mystery for me about the name of a local pub called the Pot House.  Apparently Pot House is an old name for a pub where ale was brewed in pots!  The whole area is still known as Pot House even though the pub has long been demolished.  There is a tradition in this country of giving directions using pub names (turn right at the Hare and Hounds) and before Sat Nav this was a great way of navigating your way around as the signs are easy to spot.  The signs date back to the time when most people couldn’t read so signwriters were employed to draw depictions of the name of the inn.

During the talk we were invited to ponder on the correct name for 12 different inn signs.  This proved quite difficult even though we were given a choice out of three.  In the end there was a tie-break question: Which is the most popular English Inn sign?  The answer is of course The Red Lion.  Is there one near you?