The Historic England Blog provides definitions for different types of establishments serving alcohol in England before 1830. (see What is the Oldest Pub or Inn in England? The Historic England Blog, Historic England, December 2022). The Beer Act 1830 created two new establishments.
Alehouse: A place that sold ale and beer and whose clientele was lower class.
Tavern: A place that sold wine and food and whose clientele was upper class.
Inn: A place that provided accommodation, food, and drink for travelers.
Public House: A business model that emerged 200 years ago, incorporating elements of Alehouses, Taverns, and Inns.
Beerhouse: A place that exclusively sold beer that could be consumed on premise.
Beershop: A place that exclusively sold beer to be consume off-site.
The Bull of Blackmore, Essex (Benjamin Wood, 21 May 2014)
In the Victorian period the Beer Act of 1830 created the new establishments of Beerhouses and Beershops, which could open at 4 am and close at 10 pm, provided they only sold beer. The Act removed tax on beer to make it more affordable to promote beer over hard spirits. Beerhouses allowed consumption on premise and Beershops were off-sales only.
What is the oldest Pub in England? The answer depends on what you mean by Public House. According to Historic England, no medieval alehouse survived but there are a few medieval taverns still operating in England today. The Domesday Book does not mention Pubs, although it is possible that a Pub today sits a tract of land with an identifiable feature found in the tax roll. Of the four establishments, Inns are the oldest establishment servicng alcohol dating to the 12th Century and thereafter celebrated in the Canterbury Tales.
Historic England argues that The George Inn of Norton St Philip, Somerset, has the strongest claim to be England’s earliest surviving purpose-built inn. It was built about 1345. The blog will not settle debate about which Pub is the oldest but does provide a solid reference point. In the alternative, Historic UK claims that Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem of Nottingham dates to 1189 and was used by King Richard I to recruit Volunteers (The Great British Pub. Johnson, Ben, Historic UK).
The George Inn of Norton St Philip, Somerset (unknown source)
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