Country pub of the week: The Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield
Who has the rightful claim to being Britain's oldest pub is a contended title. One is the Royal Standard of England, which dates back to either 1100 or 1213, depending on who you ask.
It was The Ship until 1663, when Charles II let it change its name, as thanks for supporting his murdered father, or because the pub let Charlie boy stay there with his mistress — again, depends on who you ask.
But there is more here than history: the pub is a timber-framed beauty, walls lined with animal heads, serving port from a barrel and whitebait out of pewter tankards.
Its fame has put it in movies (Hot Fuzz, The Theory of Everything) and draws slebs (Ozzy Osbourne, Ricky Gervais). Oh, and ghosts — listen out for the drummer boy marching in the car park.
Forty Green, Beaconsfield, Bucks, theoldestpub.com
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Pub in north Norfolk reopens under award-winning owners
A pub in north Norfolk has reopened with award-winning owners now at the helm. The Ship in Brancaster has opened its doors again under the rule of Siobhan and Caitriona Peyton. The sisters also own Sculthorpe Mill which is best known for holding a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand and has been named among the best places to stay in the UK. The Ship in Brancaster has reopened with new owners (Image: Pattie Tobin Photo/The Ship Brancaster) The Ship has nine en-suite bedrooms upstairs, which will undergo refurbishment, and includes four dining areas, a pub bar, a garden and an outdoor kitchen. 'We want The Ship to feel like a proper village pub, somewhere you can have oysters and a bottle of wine in the garden or just pop in for a pint after a dog walk,' Siobhan said. READ MORE: Soap legend back behind the bar at Norfolk Broads pub Head chef Elliot Ketley is going for a Mediterranean theme with the food and will make the most of local resources such as lobsters and seabass from the harbour in Brancaster. The bar menu will stick to the seafood theme with oysters, monkfish, scampi fries and a crayfish club sandwich all on offer. The inside of one of the nine en-suite bedrooms at The Ship (Image: Pattie Tobin Photo/The Ship Brancaster) Rotisserie chicken from the garden kitchen will be available for customers to take away and have a picnic on the beach or to eat in the garden alongside salad and chips. 'The cooking is serious but unpretentious and the setting is as Norfolk as it gets,' Siobhan added. 'Big skies, fresh air and a great local pint.' READ MORE: Wildlife park welcomes arrival of endangered animal Lamb rump is being served at The Ship in Brancaster (Image: Pattie Tobin Photo/The Ship Brancaster) Gareth McAnish has been appointed the general manager and has years of experience in the hospitality industry. He was the former manager and head sommelier at the Sager + Wilde in London.
