Last Updated on March 1, 2021 by Natalie Rabinowitz
Pubs are a way of life in the United Kingdom. There is one less than a corner away from another. When I moved to London over five years ago, I was amazed at all the different pub signs that it quickly became a photography hobby. While Brits, Scots, and Welsh like their pubs, I love pub signs.
Step Back in Time
The underlying history of pub signage dates back to the Romans, placing vine leaves outside to show that a business sold wine on-premises. As vine leaves do not do well in the English climate, bushes replaced vine leaves. Hence today, you will see pub signs with names such as The Bird and Bush or Mulberry Bush.
A pub (also known as taverns and free house) signage became significant during the 12th century when King Richard II decreed it for official pubs to be identifiable to the Ale Taster. Hence, the White Hart emblem representing the King became popular. Simultaneously, it was also significant for people who could not read; therefore townspeople used visual pub signs to gather and meet at the name of a specific character, such as The Carpenter or The Hole in the Wall or The Queens Head.
Popular Images
The most famous pub signage is the Red Lion (representing James I and VI of Scotland) but fret not. There is also the White Lion (representing Edward IV) and the Black Lion, where I could not find a King source meaning. I have also come across the Blue Lion (possibly representing King Robert the Bruce).
The Rose and Crown, also significant, represented the House of Lancaster (a red rose) and the House of York (a white rose) unified after the War of the Roses. At the same time, there is an abundance of family crests represented on pub signs.
Pubs located by former hunting grounds representing animals such as foxes, hares, hounds, greyhounds, and ducks, references King Henry VIII love for outdoor sportsmanship.
Other popular visual pub signs include Shakespeare, anchors, bells, blacksmiths, carpenters, cocks (venue for cock-fighting), cricket, famous people, historical moments, ships, public hangings, Queens and Kings.
While many people take pub signs for granted, pub signs are visual art to be looked at and admired.
Myriad
There are over 3,500 pubs in London with about 47,000 in all of the United Kingdom. I don’t foresee photographing all of them, but it will never get old to what is around the corner when looking up. Next time you find yourself wandering around, look up, what do you see?
If you are on Instagram, check out the collection of pub sign photographs I have been adding natalie rabinowitz_pub_signs.
Want to read about pub slang words, check out Anglotopia for Anglophiles.
WOW you know it makes me think of out local bars here in Kentucky they dont do signs like these If they might get creative down by the Brandenburg River I bet it would bring a lot of tourism ! Great share and loved the Photos !
Glad you enjoyed the read 🙂 Maybe the local bars should look at this concept. If you are on Instagram, I have been posting lots of pub sign photographs to look at https://www.instagram.com/natalie_rabinowitz_pub_signs/.
I am very much ! ill check it out thanks so much for sharing this link with me to check out !
Great! I will look for you there.
This is a post that is right up my street, there are some wonderful examples of pub signs here.
Thank you. I have been posting on my Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/natalie_rabinowitz_pub_signs/, if you are on there. Too good not to share.
Sorry, call me a dinosaur if you will but I absolutely refuse to use “anti-social” media. The collages on your post were great, though.
Which Nell Gwynne was that? I know it is not the one in Bull Inn Court in central London because I used to play gigs there.
Understandable! This Nell Gwynne is in Windsor, now a Chinese restaurant..
How sad. I contribute to a website that lists all the closed down pubs in England and it is heartbreaking.
May 17th there will be a lot of happy people 🙂
Your post made me smile, I just love old English pubs, preferably those retaining their traditions of the decor and it being a place of community. I grew up in the Lake District where such pubs really were part of our village communities all across Cumbria, and this persists to this day. Sadly as a coeliac I can no longer drink good English ale, or beer of any kind, but thankfully my love of wine is not affected. That’s a great collection of signs, I have a few but can’t match your collection. Brilliant 👏👏👏
Glad you enjoyed 🙂 There are some stunning pubs with their ambience and antiquities. Lake District! Wow, such a beautiful area. I have only been once and need to go back and explore. Until then, lots more pub photos to be taken 🙂
Very interesting. Cool art & history.
Glad you enjoyed 🙂
What a nice collection of pub signs and thanks for the explanations. I always like to take pictures of pub signs but I did not know anything about them.
Thank you. So much fascinating history to be discovered 🤓
I never knew about these It’s almost a new form of art
Laughter increases your face value
Definitely an art form that goes unnoticed.
So many pubs, so less time!
Hahaha, I am sure people will be making up for it after lockdown.