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PUB AHOY!
Here we go back to when 'Britannia Ruled the Waves.' Naturally our Nautical History and navigational skills are reflected in our Pubs.
Not only the sea is involved - we are an island full of rivers, lakes, estuaries and man made canals and waterways. And anything that floats has a Pub connection.
A rich compendium of words anchors it all together. Do you know a ketch from a yawl? Or who will win the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race ? Can you scull in a skiff and where is the best Pub to 'Push the Boat Out ?' Our choice for this would be Norfolk.
So Norfolk is where we start in the bustling little harbour town of Wells-Next-the-Sea. Here you will find The ALBATROS - the curious spelling comes about because this is a Pub on a boat of that name. Not just any old boat but an 1899 North Sea Clipper. Moored at the Quayside it is easy to spot the high masts. Full of atmosphere and nautical history it has much else to offer. It can be booked by bands, there is much in the way of food and you can eat Dutch Pancakes on deck. It is larger than it looks and below decks the holds no longer have to hold goods to be transported. Plenty of room for cask ale.
If this is not enough The ALBATROS can also be chartered for an actual voyage if you can afford that sort of thing.
Lord Geroge Anson
Admiral Benbow
Now to keep our findings in shipshape order and not drift into uncharted waters we shall cast off with our most admired admirals.
Lord George ANSON. 1697-1762
In 1740 he was given a squadron of 6 ships to have a go at the Spanish, in the Pacific manned mostly by Greenwich Hospital Pensioners. By the time they reached a rendezvous at Juan Fernandez Island he had on three ships left. By 1743 only his beloved Ship CENTURION had survived - and with this he captured a Spanish Galleon and returned with what turned out to be 32 waggon loads of treasure.
In 1745 he defeated the French at Finistere and his prestige was further enhanced when he completed his best seller 'VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD' which featured his travels in the CENTURION between 1740-44. It outsold Daniel Defoe's ROBINSON CRUSOE.
He became a first Lord of the Admiralty and instigated many dockyard reforms.
ANSON ARMS and other Pubs bearing his name are sprinkled in locations from Manchester to Yarmouth but our choice of Pub goes to The SHIP CENTURION in the High Street of Whitstable in Kent. A fine nautical Pub in a seaside town to match, with its own bay. A Free House well known for hospitality, choice of beers, festooned with hanging baskets of flowers in season this 3-storey Victorian building is full of Whitstable History and memorabilia.. TAKE A VOYAGE ROUND THE PUB.
ADMIRAL John BENBOW. 1653-1702
'Oh, Benbow lost his legs, by chain-shot, by chain-shot,
Down on his stumps did fall and so loud for mercy called,
"Oh fight on my British Tars,
It is my lot, It is my lot" '........
And so in 1702 after a 5 day running battle against the French in the Caribbean the valiant Admiral became a theme for balladeers as he departed from life.
A Shropshire man, he seemed popular all over the country and quite a few Pubs bear his name, but one of the most popular is The ADMIRAL BENBOW at Penzance in Cornwall. It is a protected building of solid whitewashed granite dating from the 1600's. It had extra protection from a smuggler with a flintlock pistol lying along the roof ridge as some sort of look out. You are quite safe - he is only an effigy.
At one time the Pub had a whole museum attached to it and if this has gone there is enough smuggling and nautical memorabilia to drink in or get wedged in during the tourist season.
More writing by Chas can be found on Heácræft
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