Thomas Vosper has been on a pub crawl for his birthday every year since his mid-20s and has visited more than 1,000 pubs across the UK. His latest book, Historic Pub Crawls Through Scotland, is released this week. He has compiled a list of 10 noteworthy pubs he would revisit, including The Centurion in Newcastle.
A Mission to Preserve Pub Culture
Vosper champions the significance of public houses. 'Whenever you go anywhere in the country, whether you're with friends, with family, even if you're on your own, the first place you stop for is somewhere to get a drink and a bite to eat,' he told the Daily Star. 'I think that pubs and pub crawls specifically are a fantastic way of seeing different parts of history in an area and also the people as well.'
He began organizing annual birthday pub crawls in his mid-20s. After personal difficulties left him seeking direction in 2023, he turned his hobby into a dedicated endeavor, assembling 13 favorite pub crawl itineraries into a self-published book that went viral.
Over 1,000 Pubs and Counting
Vosper has explored over 1,000 licensed premises. For a pub crawl, he recommends about 12 venues: 'You can get a good variety of pubs that way... if you don't fancy a certain type of pub, you can skip it and still know that it's not long to get to the next one.' He suggests mixing different types, such as Sam Smith's pubs, grand banking halls like Wetherspoons, and sports bars.
While hesitant to name a single favorite, he has selected 10 pubs he'd happily revisit. The Centurion in Newcastle is among them, described as a traditional, timber-lined watering hole that has undergone a sports bar transformation yet retains its enchanting period character.
Vosper's Top 10 Pubs
- The Marquis – Covent Garden, London: Rich heritage dating back to 1667, with a vintage soundtrack.
- The Warrington Hotel – Maida Vale, London: Grade II listed, featured in The Sweeney, with traditional décor.
- The Old Joint Stock – Birmingham: Considered the finest in the Midlands, with a compact performance space.
- The Philharmonic – Liverpool: Victorian establishment with period timber panelling and stained glass.
- The Vines – Liverpool: Known as 'The Big House,' from 1907 with Edwardian design and a coloured-glass cupola.
- The Peveril of the Peak – Manchester: Of 'outstanding national historic importance,' dating to the 1820s.
- The Guildford Arms – Edinburgh: Among Scotland's 'People's Palaces,' with ornate craftsmanship from the Golden Age of Scottish pub architecture.
- The Centurion – Newcastle: Traditional timber-lined pub with a sports bar transformation and period character.
- The Prince Albert – Brighton: Live music venue with a mural of music icons including Amy Winehouse and Jimi Hendrix.
- The Gravediggers – Dublin: Authentic traditional pub with no background music or TV, serving some of the finest Guinness.
Guinness and Lager Tips
Vosper says Ireland is the premier destination for Guinness: 'If you go to Ireland, that's where the best Guinness is. End of. The debate's over.' For lager, he recommends Scotland and Tennent's: 'It's their national drink – well that or Irn-Bru.'
From Hobby to Social Media Success
Vosper's Instagram account @historicpubcrawls now has over 250,000 followers. He started by approaching pubs and saying, 'You're in my book. Can I have a free pint? I'm going to film it and put it on the internet. I'll be famous, you'll be rich.' Most initially refused, but one pub gave him free pints all night. 'I thought I might be onto something here,' he said. His first few books did well, leading to a publishing deal.
To mark the release of Historic Pub Crawls Through Scotland, he will raise a glass at the Guildford Arms in Edinburgh: 'My book launch is going to be at the Guildford Arms, which is just one of the most beautiful pubs in the whole world.'
