A look at old pubs on the day we go back to pub gardens

These long-serving watering holes have been refreshing the palates of patrons for decades and even centuries in Southampton.

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The Red Lion - 55 High St

The Red Lion pub is one of Britain’s oldest buildings and steeped in history.

King Henry V made it the scene of one of the most famous trials in the country when he used its “court room” to try three men accused of trying to assassinate him. The conspirators were found guilty and executed outside Southampton’s Bargate.

The old watering hole, which dates back to 1148, is also rumoured to have 21 ghosts.

One sighting in particular causes quite a stir around the place – the image of a grey haired woman, about 60, who walks through the bar and stands behind it. A lot of people say it was an old barmaid who fell down the stairs.

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The Juniper Berry - 1900 Castle Square

Back in the early nineteenth century, the house on this site was the home of author Jane Austen.

The writer of classics such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, along with her widowed mother, came to live in the house with her brother Frank and his wife Mary in 1807

Jane lived at the property until spring 1809 when the family near to Chawton where she spent the rest of her life.

The pub changed name to the Bosun’s Locker for the best part of a decade, but switched back to the Juniper Berry in 2012.

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The Duke of Wellington – 36 Bugle Street

Dating back to 1220, the building has maintained all of its beautiful beamed ceilings, wooden pillars and open fires.

The building was badly damaged during the great French raid of 1338 but, unlike most of the city, only required a repair job.

The property was converted into a public house in 1494 after being bought by brewer Rowland Johnson who named it Bere House or Brew House.

By 1771 the pub was renamed the Shipwrights Arms and, after the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, the name changed once more. This time it became the Duke of Wellington in honour of the national hero.

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The Grapes – 41-43 Oxford Street

The Grapes is one the nearest pubs to the Eastern Docks in Southampton, and as such was always popular with dock workers and seamen alike.

It’s speculated that the pub featured in James Cameron's Titanic is The Grapes, although the identity of the watering hole in the movie is never revealed

However, the pub did play a vital role in saving the lives of three Southampton brothers.

Bertram, Tom and Alfred Slade had been drinking in The Grapes along with John Podesta and William Nutbean

The five left the pub to return to the vessel, when a train approached via the level crossing. Podesta and Nutbean ran in front of the train whilst the Slade brothers waited for it to pass.

The length of the train meant it took a long time to clear the crossing and by the time the Slade brothers had made it to the dockside, Titanic had already begun her fateful journey.

John Podesta and William Nutbean, both firemen on the vessel, survived the sinking.

Another crew member, Alexander Hooper, also missed the sailing as he was drinking in the pub.

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The Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis – Canute Road

The historic watering hole is named after the Admiral of the Fleet Sir Lucius Curtis, who was a senior officer in the Royal Navy in the 19th century. A portrait of the famed officer now sits on the sign outside.

The pub was previously named the Cork and Bottle 

Built in 1870, the building was once the official headquarters of the Eastern Docks, Southampton’s first purpose-built dockyard.

Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis laid the foundation stone for the new dock on October 12, 1838 in front of a staggering crowd of twenty thousand people.

Two memorial plaques can be found at the end of the building that commemorate the dock workers and seaman that lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.

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Platform Tavern - Town Quay

The pub’s history dates back to 1873 and is of historical interest as it is built against the old town walls.

In 1912, the tavern would have looked directly out across the brand new city docks, with a clear view of the Titanic.

Many claim that it featured in the James Cameron movie, Titanic, although the identity of the pub in the film has never been revealed.

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The Cowherds – Southampton Common

Built in 1762, the building housed the cowherd who was responsible for the livestock grazing on the Common.

Alcohol was first sold on the premises in 1744 when cowherd Edward Dyett began selling beer from the house to supplement his income.

The building became a full-time pub in 1789 and was officially known as the Southampton Arms.

The name was abbreviated to the Hampton Arms Inn before becoming the Cowherds.

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