Historic Pub Buildings

This route is about buildings rather than beer: each stop is a pub with a listed building, an old interior or a documented history. It runs from Bene't Street north over Magdalene Bridge, then east to Midsummer Common and King Street.

The route

Start: The Eagle

A coaching inn since 1667 and a Grade II listed building, with a street front of around 1600. Allied airmen of the Second World War left their names on the ceiling of the rear bar, now called the RAF Bar. A blue plaque records the announcement of the structure of DNA here on 28 February 1953.

2. Pint Shop

The pub at 10 Peas Hill occupies a Grade II listed building of 1830 that was once an office. The pub's story starts with the Beer Act of 1830, which let anyone who paid a small fee brew and sell beer at home.

3. The Baron of Beef

A Grade II listed pub at 19 Bridge Street whose own history starts in 1752.

4. The Pickerel Inn

An inn on Magdalene Street whose history starts in 1608, now a Grade II listed building. Past uses include a gin palace and a malting house.

5. Fort St George

A Grade II listed, timber-framed pub on Midsummer Common, with parts dating from the 16th century. The snug beside the main entrance keeps its old panelling and tiled floor. The building has been altered and enlarged over the years.

6. The Champion of the Thames

A small King Street pub in a Grade II listed building, with an unaltered late-Victorian interior. It is on the Regional Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors for East Anglia.

Practical notes

• Check each stop's page for opening times and any tickets or booking before you set out.
• The distance and time in the sidebar are estimates, worked out from the straight lines between stops with an allowance for street detours.