English pubs have names that are often of long standing. The Golden Lion, The Red Dragon and The Talbot all refer to heraldic creatures. The Devonshire Arms and the Prince of Wales are named after nobility and royalty respectively, but the Blacksmiths Arms can be seen as poking a little fun at such pretension. Walk through any town or city and you will see names that are many and varied, from Lord Nelson (national hero) or The Mayflower (ship of the Pilgrims) to the Slug and Lettuce (probably a new concoction) and the Railway Hotel (next to the train station). However, this example in Chepstow, Wales, seems to take its inspiration from some of the seats of power in Britain and may be a Victorian invention, hanging as it does on an establishment built in 1849.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10
