BEST OF BRITAIN

A rose by any other name stories of the top five peculiar names in

When looking for a night out or a place to name of this endearing pub. It was origi - In early times, hostels were run by the eat, we have all come across that one pub nally called e Running and was a church and usually named by the monks with a name so strange that we just have to popular place where footmen often ate and who ran it. In Hull, a hostel meant for laugh. We can tease the overtly high-class drank together after competing in races weary travellers on was named name of the chain pub e Rose & against one another. e upper class of God Encompasses Us All . However, when Crown, named after the Tudor court of often raced their footmen against this was converted to include a pub, the England and its symbol of the rose, but be - each other and placed bets on the winning locals printed it the way they pronounced yond the common chain are smaller man. However, after the Great Fire of it rather than its actual name. eir clever pubs with much more bizarre names and London in 1666, many of the streets were nickname was printed on the sign: Goat even more odd stories that come with damaged or ruined and slowly the sport and Compasses, Hull . is sounds very them. Here are a few of those strange and lost its popularity. In 1749, an ex-footman close to God Encompasses Us All, yet sometimes spooky pubs. bought the place, claiming to have been when read on the sign, it makes every One pub in London called I Am The the last running footman. He renamed the passer-by stop and wonder what a compass Only Running Footman is frequently men - pub after himself and dedicated the pub and a goat have in common. You can find tioned in lists of pubs to visit in London. It and hostelry to the old duties of a foot - this pub on Falkland Road, Hull. is known for being the title of a detective man, rather than the manservant duties of The Three Legged Mare , though a re - story written by Martha Grimes in 1986, footmen in the late 1700s. Locally referred cently opened pub, holds a name of histor - about the fictional murder of a nearby to as e Footman, you can still go to the ical value. e term “three-legged mare” shop girl. However, I Am e Only pub and hostel at Charles Street, , was used to describe gallows that can hang Running Footman was not the original London. three people at a time. is is depicted on

16 FOCUS The Magazine January/February 2020 www.focus-info.org BEST OF BRITAIN

the sign of the pub. However, they did not dated back to the 12th century and to have just stop with a sign. In their beer garden, been inhabited by a monk that is still seen “In 587:, an (an outside eating or drinking area) they today by customers, who claim to have have a life-size representation of one such seen the robed figure appear and disappear ex-footman three-legged mare. However, if you ask the before their very eyes. However, the pub locals what the name of this pub is, they was not built until the 18th century and its bought the place, will all tell you it is called the Wonky name is derived from yet another gruesome claiming to have Donkey. is is the name of their exclusive story. e pub was often visited by pirates beer and therefore is a shorter nickname and seaside smugglers and located near a been the last given to the pub. You can visit this pub at well for them to get water for the long High Petergate, York. journeys at sea. However, one day the running A 400-year-old pub holds the name of landlord of the pub was getting water from footman. ” The Quiet Woman . Already in our mod - the well and pulled up a bucket of blood. ern culture this name would be unaccept - e body of a revenue officer who had able and yet the story behind it is even confronted some of the ruffians of the pub more intriguing. e landlord of the pub was found at the bottom of the well. He is had a wife who was known to the town as now nicknamed the “Bloody Ghost” and “Chattering Charteris” and was widely dis - can still be spotted on rare occasions by the liked. Her husband could not sleep at Cornish well. night, as she would talk even in her sleep. ese are only a few of the uniquely One night, her husband could no longer named pubs across England, but wherever stand the constant chattering and decapi - you go, you are sure to find a pub with a tated her. Instead of facing punishment name and a story. Here are just a few more from his village, they all gave money to pay I found worth mentioning: Poosie Nansies, for her headstone. ey also changed the Bunch of Carrots, e Nobody Inn, e name of the pub, leaving the warning “soft Drunken Duck, and e Swan With Two words turneth away wrath”. You can visit Necks. Interesting fact: many pubs had Eliza Raine is a guest writer and currently this pub in the village of Earl Sterndale in their pictures painted first and were named studying creative writing and English Buxton. afterwards because of high illiteracy rates. literature. She’s lived in the UK for two For our last curious pub name we have What story will you discover as you ex - years and loves exploring the unique history of the area. The Bucket of Blood in Hayle, Cornwall. plore the strangely named pubs of e building of the pub is thought to have England?

www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 17