Gloucester Arms Review: The Royal Title With the Grimmest History | The Dukedom of Gloucester has a dark record – two of its holders are among the most notorious figures in English history
Prince Albert Review: The German Prince Who Invented Christmas | Albert gave Britain the Christmas tree, the modern royal family, and this whole quarter of London. He is everywhere here.
Bloomsbury Tavern Review: The District Name, Straight, No Twist | A 4.3 pub on Shaftesbury Avenue that simply borrows the neighbourhood’s famous name and gets on with pouring pints
Bush Tavern Review: The Oldest Pub Sign in the World | A bush hung outside meant wine was sold within – the origin of the pub sign itself, and one of the oldest advertising symbols on earth
The Morden Arms Review: The Honest Local of Old Greenwich | A cherished traditional backstreet local, named for the Morden connection – a proper, unpretentious neighbourhood pub
The Crown Review: The Second Most Common Pub Name in Britain | A 4.5 pub named The Crown, the ancient symbol of monarchy and the second most common pub name in the land
Albion Review: The Oldest Name for Britain Itself | Albion is the most ancient name for the island of Britain – older than England, older than the Romans, wrapped in myth and white cliffs
Prince of Wales Review: The Title the English Took From Wales | The heir to the throne is called Prince of Wales – a title with a genuinely provocative origin in the conquest of Wales
Royal Exchange Review: Named for the Birthplace of London’s Trade | The Royal Exchange was the great trading floor founded by Sir Thomas Gresham – the beating heart of London’s commercial rise
The Ship Review: A Landlocked Vessel in the Middle of Fitzrovia | One of England’s commonest pub names, on a street that has never seen the sea, in the grand tradition of the nautical pub inland
The Queens Tavern Review: The Honest Local Wishing Rising Fortunes | A traditional local tavern noted honestly for its below-average score, given fair context, with warm wishes for its rising fortunes ahead
The New Inn Review: The Cheerful Paradox of the Oldest New Inn | A classic old pub name – ‘The New Inn’, one of the most traditional names of all, often (with cheerful irony) among the oldest inns in town
The Clarence Review: The Royal Title That Keeps Coming Back | Clarence is a royal dukedom with a troubled history – drowned princes, a doomed heir, and a famous carriage all bear the name
Devonshire Arms Review: The Dukes Behind Half of England | The Dukes of Devonshire were among the grandest and richest families in England – Chatsworth, politics, and endless landholdings
Elephant and Castle Review: The Pub Sign Nobody Can Explain | One of London’s most famous and most puzzling names – is it a cutler’s crest, a Spanish infanta, or an actual elephant?
Builders Arms Kensington Review: The Other Pub for the Vanished Workmen | A second Builders Arms in this survey – a genuinely different pub, and a chance to revisit the men who built these streets
The Brewer’s Inn Review: The Warm Wandsworth Pub With Rooms | A warm, well-loved traditional pub in Wandsworth, a proper local with good beer, good food and a genuine welcome, doing the traditional pub things well
