Many historic pubs in England claim to be more than 1,000 years old, boasting visits from Saxon kings or Vikings. However, a scientific study has shown that none of these claims are true. By studying the tree rings in old wooden beams, buildings archaeologist Dr James Wright found that England's oldest surviving pub has served drinks for about 600 years, not a thousand.
The true title belongs to the George Inn in Norton St Philip, Somerset. Monks from nearby Hinton Priory established the building in the late 14th century, and it has remained in continuous service ever since. Dr Wright used tree-ring dating, known as dendrochronology, to examine its timbers. Because medieval carpenters used freshly cut wood immediately for construction, analyzing the growth rings reveals almost the exact date the building was put together.
More than two dozen pubs across England have long claimed to be the country's oldest. For example, Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in Hertfordshire claimed to date from the year 793, but Dr Wright discovered this date only appeared on a postcard in 1926. The building actually started around 1400 as a monastic dovecote—a house for pigeons—and only became an active pub in the early 19th century. Other pubs claim they are listed in the 11th-century Domesday Book, but the historic record does not mention any pubs at all.
Dr Wright explained that these ancient claims are modern marketing strategies created by landlords and pub companies. In reality, only about 12 to 16 pubs in England have traded continuously since the medieval era, with the earliest dating to the 14th and 15th centuries.