The Bingley Arms is a public house in Bardsey, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and claims to be both the oldest surviving business and oldest surviving pub in the United Kingdom. The current building dates from the 18th century.
Founding and history
editThe Bingley Arms was originally named The Priests Inn. The Bingley Arms calls itself the oldest pub in Britain, with a history dating back to between AD 905 and AD 953, and says that it served as a safe house for persecuted Catholic priests, and also as a courthouse from around AD 1000 from which offenders were taken to the pillory across the road.[1] There is however no actual historic study supporting these claims. The stone building structure is 18th century.[2] The Bingley Arms was featured in a 2005 book review discussion on the invention of traditional public house history, "Great Pub Myths", and "claims to be... the oldest pub in Britain", published in the Yorkshire Evening Post.[3]
The Bingley Arms is also a restaurant, and a former winner of the Yorkshire Evening Post Restaurant of the Year Award. The Automobile Association states it provides "charm" and "excellent food".[4]
The beer garden is home to a yew tree that pre-dates the Bingley Arms.[5]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ "History of The Bingley Arms". Bingley Arms. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
- ^ "Mediaeval Mythbusting Blog #23: The Bingley Arms". 2 July 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
- ^ Fox, Geoff (15 February 2005). "Beware mock heritage in our 'historic' pubs". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ "Bardsey and Pompocali". AA website. Automobile Association (UK). Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ Shaw, Megan (2 January 2022). "The 1000-year-old stone pub in Leeds that's the oldest in England". Leeds Live. Retrieved 27 March 2022.