Britain’s most bizarre pub names

The Rose & Crown and Red Lion might be reliable staples of the British pub scene, but popping in for a pint at Fanny on the Hill or Oily Johnnies is surely more of an adventure?

Britain is known for its often quirky choice of words to describe its surroundings. Take a drive through Britain’s countryside and you could come across leafy enclaves such as Boggy Bottom, Crotch Crescent or Minge Lane. London’s streets are no better, carrying names such as Back Passage, Cockbush Avenue and Titley Close.

Displaying a sense of childish humour that Bill and Ted would be proud of, our pubs are apparently no different.

While some of Britain’s pub names have stood for centuries, defiantly preserved by landlords to maintain its proud history, others have picked up new names along the way, taking inspiration from the characteristics of their myriad of colourful patrons.

Scroll through for a look at some of the UK’s most bizarre pub names.

Do you know of any others? Post your suggestions below.

The Hung Drawn and Quartered, London

Named after its close proximity to where a great many public executions happened, the Hung Drawn and Quartered leaves little to the imagination. Public executions took place on Tower Hill for centuries, until the final beheading in 1747. It’s now managed by Fuller’s with gilt-edged portraits that adorn its walls reminding patrons of the area’s gruesome history.

The Legend of Oily Johnnies, Winscales, Cumbria

Apparently this pub was once named The Oak Three, a far more conventional mantle than its current The Legend of Oily Johnnies. It was renamed on the request of regular to the pub in honour of a man called Johnnie, who used to sell paraffin oil on the premises.

Fanny on the Hill, Welling, London

Sure to raise a titter from even the most mature pub goer, The Fanny on the Hill closed in 2014 after Bexley Council revoked its licence amid claims of continued anti-social behaviour.

The Cat & the Custard Pot Inn, Paddlesworth, Kent

Cats are not especially known for their love of custard, making this incongruous pub name something of a curiosity. The pub provides a lengthy explanation on its website as to the origins of the pub’s sign. In short, it’s believed that the pub was once called the Cat and the Mustard port, however a spelling mistake made the its sign maker condemned it to forever be known as the Cat and Custard Pot Inn.

The Jolly Taxpayer, Portsmouth

A grade II listed building, The Jolly Taxpayer is apparently the only public house in Portsmouth “to have an operational bottle and jug” – a shop from which to which beverages home – a tradition that has been replaced by supermarkets and off-licenses.

Job Centre, Deptford, London

The Job Centre attracted its fair share of controversy when it opened in 2014. It takes its name from the employment agency that once occupied the venue. A stepping stone toward the gentrification of Deptford, the pub is markets as an upmarket venue with “quirky design features inspired by its function as a place that once served the unemployed” – the irony of which was not lost on its critics.

The Bucket of Blood, Hayle, Cornwall

The origins of this name are as bloody as they appear. Apparently, its name is based on a incident at the pub which took place around 200 years ago. The landlord went to draw water from a well and instead pulled up a bucket filled with blood. A mutilated corpse was found at the foot of the well.

The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn, Stalybridge, Tameside

Located in the town of Tameside, Greater Manchester, Stalybridge is home to the pub with the longest name in Great Britaint – The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn. Through sheer coincidence, it is also home to the pub with the shortest name – Q.

The Quiet Woman, Earl Sterndale, Buxton

The Quiet Woman carries a rather unsettling image that could threaten to provoke all manner of controversy in itself. However the origins of this oddly titled pub lie in the supernatural. The pub is apparently names after a woman name Juthware who was decapitated in the nearby church by her brother. She is now said to haunt the pub.

Dirty Dicks, Bishopsgate, London

Dirty Dicks has a long history that dates back to the start of the 18th century when it was known as The Old Jerusalem. Its owner William Barker renamed the pub after Richard Bentley – a city merchant who owned a hardware shop and warehouse nearby. After the death of his fiancee he apparently refused to clean anything, including himself, with his warehouse becoming known for its filth, attracting the moniker The Dirty Warehouse. Bentley is said to be the inspiration for Miss Haversam in Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations.