Updated

Tree-ring dating shows a historic Somerset tavern has operated continuously as an inn since the 1430s, Smithsonian Magazine reported on October 30, 2026. An archaeologist drilled into roughly 600-year-old timbers to settle the contentious question of England's oldest pub. Local monks built the tavern to lodge wool merchants, according to the report. The findings give a dated record for one of the country's long-running drinking establishments.