My name is Glyn Watkins. I am a writer, artist and poet who likes drinking in pubs. This site was designed to help me find Britain's best pub signs for possible inclusion in a calendar. That need has passed, and thanks to those that sent suggestions. I got into the habit of photographing pub signs and now intend the gallery pages of this site to be a kind of 'pubs I have passed' diary; and possibly a useful web resource.
It you want to chat about pubs, or just tell me of your favourite sign,
Signs of the times People like inn signs, they have been around our streets for many hundreds of years and are Britain's most visible vernacular art form, and arguably its best, as well as our oldest commercial marketing device. Despite that pub signs have far less protection than trees now. Dozens of our pubs are closing for ever every week, and those that survive can do what they like with their sign. Planning regulations surround the putting up of a new sign, none to stop an old one being taken down. Added afterwards It's been pointed out to me that pubs signs fade, and even if they are looked after they do not last much more than a decade, so they cannot be served with preservation orders (and heaven knows, the lot of pubs is made hard enough by bureaucratic blood suckers as it is). It is a fair point, but I think pubs and pub groups that simply get rid of signs without replacing them are treating their, and my, history with contempt.
The Quest for a Sign It is very difficult trying to find pub signs on the internet. Sites for pubs often have no photo, and if they do they often do not show the sign.
The British Inn Sign Society. I got a really helpful e-mail from the the Editor of the Journal of the Inn Sign Society after he read the page. I have no hesitation in recommending those interested in inn signs to join. The quarterly magazine sounds very good (and contains around 70 pictures of signs). The website has some good pictures of signs, but is now a historic document as many of the signs are gone.
I phoned the Dock Green in Leeds to ask if they still had Dixon of Dock Green on their sign. The lady who answered said I'll ave a luke luv. I could hear her walk away, go through the door and come back, to say We ain't got a sign at all luv!
If you know of a good sign please
. A small photo of the sign would be very useful. I may use any photo sent on this site and will give credit if I do.
Other useful sites
Purr-and-furWonderful site full of pub signs with cats.
Midland Pub Signs. Alphabetical list. A good site, but the woman who did it has dozens of signs under A, then obviously ran out of puff, or pub, because the rest of the alphabet only get one or two each.
Pub Sign Selection
There are more pictures if you click the button at top or bottom, these are also the only images with detail links. The images below only have short captions.
Three Kings, 7, Clerkenwell Close, London, EC1R 0DY
Doric Arch, Euston Station, London
The Water Rats, 328 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8BZ
The Pakenham Arms, 1, Packenham St, London, WC1X 0LA
The Pakenham Arms, 1, Packenham St, London, WC1X 0LA