Historic England has officially named the George Inn in Norton St Philip, Somerset, as the oldest continually licensed pub in England, ending years of debate over which establishment holds the title.
The pub has been serving customers for more than 600 years, according to building archaeologist Dr James Wright, who said documentary evidence proves its continuous licensing history.
Evidence Behind the Claim
Dr Wright, speaking in a video posted on Historic England's Facebook page outside the pub, dismissed many rival claims as myths. He said: 'Most of what you've heard about the oldest pubs in England are myths.'
'Now there are many, many claims to be the oldest pub in the country, and yet so few of them actually have evidence to back up those claims,' he added. 'To get to the real evidence of these buildings we've to look at the fabric, and we've got to look at the story of the people who actually built them, and that all leads us to the village of Norton St Philip in Somerset.'
Origin and Dating
The George Inn was established in the 14th century by monks from nearby Hinton Priory as a commercial venture, a fact known from surviving paperwork. Dr Wright said: 'The George Inn was set up in the 14th Century by the monks of nearby Hinton Priory, and they did this as a savvy money-making exercise, and we know this from the paperwork.'
Tree-ring dating provided the final confirmation. Dr Wright explained that medieval carpenters felled timber while it was still green and built almost immediately, meaning the felling date closely matches construction. He said: 'And because we know Medieval carpenters didn't muck around at all and they would fell the timber when it was green and build almost immediately afterwards, the actual date of felling gives us the near date of construction.'
'And in terms of the timber work…we know that this dates from between 1430 and 1432. We're not guessing at its age – now that's the difference between a local legend and a national treasure.'
