The 500 greatest pubs in England, according to our expert
Our expert, Will Hawkes, has been writing about pubs for decades, visiting thousands across England in his never-ending search for perfection, and each of the establishments on the list has been tried and tested.
To help you navigate this selection, enter a postcode or county name. You can also use the filters provided – for example, 'family friendly', 'serves food' or 'overnight stay' – to further narrow down your search.
We hope you are inspired to visit as many of these pubs as you can. Do you agree with Will's verdict on your local? Has he missed a gem in your neighbourhood? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Best in county Great beers Beer garden Pets welcome Family friendly Historic pub Live music Overnight stay Serves food Good walks
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About the guru
My love of pubs has deep roots. Before I could get into them, they were getting me in trouble. While still in single digits, I guilelessly repeated a term I'd heard my dad use – 'boozer' – to describe the Six Bells, the local in my Kentish village, to a fellow child. That verbal indiscretion earned me a finger-wagging rebuke from my primary school teacher.
But it didn't put me off; quite the opposite, in fact. In the years that followed, as life took me from Kent to Birmingham to London via regular pit-stops in Glasgow, Devon and Hampshire, my enjoyment of a good pub has grown. My current local favourite is the Blythe Hill Tavern in south London, but I have pubs I return to again and again all over the country, from the Roscoe Head in Liverpool to the Blue Bell in York.
Methodology
I've written about pubs for more years than I care to recall, and have developed strong opinions about what makes a great one. Atmosphere, of course; fixtures and fittings that engender warmth, happiness and cosiness; good beer, particularly cask ale; and a sense of place.
Of great importance too, I think, is that the cost of entry should be the cost of a drink. That's why I've picked few gastropubs. I also haven't included a lot of micropubs, since – while they often have superb beer – they can be short on ambience and history. A great pub needs character, and only the best micropubs reach that level.
To fill in the gaps in my knowledge, I've spent the past few months travelling the length and breadth of England. I've trudged across bridges and under dual carriageways, taken ferries, trains, trams, taxis and – many – buses, dodged angry dogs, picked my way across soggy fields and chatted to a wide variety of people.
I've visited every ceremonial county in England, and every pub on my list. This is not my final verdict. I'll be keeping a close eye on my selections, making sure they deserve to remain. If standards drop, they'll get the chop, giving other pubs the chance to replace them. I'd love to hear your opinions too.
Credits: Designers: Olga Petrusewicz with Kevin He. Picture editor: Kate Mayger. Developers: David Green and George Ioakeimidis with Alexander Ivanov. Additional production by David Stevenson.
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- BBC News
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