Long long ago, pubs didn’t have names but they just had signs. People would call the pub whatever was on the sign. “The King’s Head” for pubs with a portrait of a king, “The Wheat Sheaf” for ones with a picture of some wheat or barley, etc.
Lots of old pubs displayed the Stuart coat of arms as a show of loyalty to King James I/VI and his heirs, which is a heraldic red lion. Hence why so many pubs have the same name even though they’re all ancient and unrelated.
I looked it up and thought it was a franchise at first, just very creative and varied about it. Some of them looked really nice, too.
Long long ago, pubs didn’t have names but they just had signs. People would call the pub whatever was on the sign. “The King’s Head” for pubs with a portrait of a king, “The Wheat Sheaf” for ones with a picture of some wheat or barley, etc.
Lots of old pubs displayed the Stuart coat of arms as a show of loyalty to King James I/VI and his heirs, which is a heraldic red lion. Hence why so many pubs have the same name even though they’re all ancient and unrelated.
Very interesting to know!