Ye Olde Fighting Cocks at the bottom of the hill below the Cathedral in St. Albans purports to be the oldest pub in Britain with a claim to the 8th century AD (I haven’t gotten used to ‘common era’ notation of BCE and CE, yet). However, the foundations of the Old Ferry Boat date to 460 AD, liquor was first sold there in 560 AD and the dates of the most recent rebuilds of the two pubs (Ferry Boat in 1400, Fighters in 1485) still favour the Ferry Boat. It is a bit pricy owing, I would speculate, to its marketing plan as a blatant tourist trap.
Nonetheless, the Fighters is a fine venue with five ale pumps and delightfully heavy architecture. Plus, you just have to like a bar with a framed copy of dogs shooting billiards.
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