U.K. Pub Signs

Pub signs became popular in the 12th century and were useful because most of the population at the time was unable to read, but could recognise a sign. It was common to say “We can meet at the sign of “The Crown”. The Crusades made names like “The Turk’s Head” and “The Lamb and Flag” popular. Some pubs have religious names, for example “The Crossed Keys” (which refers to St. Peter). Names like “The King’s Head” referred to Henry VIII himself. Other pubs were called after national heroes such as “The Shakespeare” and “The Duke of Wellington”. The industrial revolution brought in names like “The Railway”, while names like “The Bricklayers Arms” pertained to local industries.