Britains most unaltered Pubs

The National Inventory?

Following on from Dave Croft's message. . .

The classic basic unspoilt pubs of Great Britain.

I Have editions 4 and 5 and even by pure chance met [my brains have crumbled so I can't tell you his name] one of the chief perpetrators in the Red Lion at Snargate.

Edition 5 is marked 1998.

BTW : Leintwardine = Sun not Swan

The message from Peter Fox contains these words:

I wonder if it contains the pub opposite the Doffcocker on Chorley Old Road, Bolton? Not sure of the name but it may be the Crown and Anchor, Hope and Anchor or something in a similar nautical vein.

I was in a few months ago and it is still a REAL pub. The bell pushes on the wall no longer function and the photos of Botlon Wanderers heroes and triumphs are fading but it still has the three rooms Games (Darts, Dominoes, not sure about Cards, no juke, no karaoke), Lounge and public, all feeding into a central bar with real ale and a smashing barmaid too! The only modernism is the television sitting on a high shelf in the toilet corridor by the end of the bar. This TV is visible only to those at the bar and in the public and when I visited had the sound turned down low, despite there being a boxing match on.

Food consisted of Cheese and onion or Cheese and tomato rolls - Brilliant!

Verdict: an Ace pub, unspoilt by modernists.

I read a wee piece about the list in Bristol CAMRA's mag & was going to cut & paste it here, but it seems to do funny things to my computer when I try - anyway, it's on page 31 at -

seems that since the author "RWC" put the list together in 1994, the list has dropped from 32 to just 12 pubs.

Somewhat annoyingly, my brother & sis-in-law live within walking distance of one of them, (Turf Tavern / 'Tink Winky's', Bloxwich) it's also a GBG & NI pub I think. cheers MikeMcG.

I believe I've asked about this before. Try the Archives.

Ah yes,Roy Bailey, of this parish, put the 5th list up back in '98. (The Google groups link is bound to wrap):

and the 4th from '97

where I found a website with the list after a lot of hunting: it's gone now though.

But does anyone have the 2004 version? which, it seems, has been whittled down to 12. MikeMcG

Mike J> I believe I've asked about this before. Try the Archives.

Ah yes, the guy who compiled the list used to send me a copy.

For some reason he excluded The Bell at Aldworth, between Newbury and Streatley, but I am advised that it hasn't changed since 1948. A great pub.

I agree, though he probably thinks it isn't basic enough, as it serves food.

The Dun Cow (aka Cow's Tail) near Billy Row seems like a candidate, though I've not been in.

Apparently the original author was Rodney Wolfe Coe.

I knew I'd recently heard/read about this list (I used to have an old copy of it, along with a tatty SPBW leaflet I picked up in the same odd London pub), but I couldn't remember where, then I read the bit in Ian Marchant's excellent 'The Longest Crawl' (a scholarly pub crawl from Scilly to Shetland) where he tells of being only allowed to write down the list from the solitary pub copy in the 3Tuns/Lucy's in HayOnWye.

I'd randomly come across this same piece on IanM.'s website, including the list & a talkative & knowledgeable friend's proposed addition (The Three Stags Head, Wardelow Myres, Derbyshire).

Anyway, he didn't know who wrote the list, as he forgot to write down the author (& even then would only have had his initials - thanks Brett, for fleshing out the name).

The page about it all is here

the book is, IMO, an excellent read, cheers MikeMcG

In article , Dave Croft writes

The Magazine Hotel, New Brighton, Wirral. Practically unchanged in 60 years.