The George Inn, Norton St Philip facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The George Inn |
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Norton St Philip |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°18′06″N 2°19′32″W / 51.3015588°N 2.3254318°W |
| Completed | 14th century |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated: | 11 Mar 1968 |
| Reference #: | 1174953 |
The George Inn is a very old building in Norton St Philip, a village in Somerset, England. Many people say it is one of Britain's oldest inns! It was built a long time ago, either in the 1300s or 1400s. Today, it is a special building known as a Grade I listed building, which means it's very important and protected.
Contents
A Building with a Long History
The George Inn was first built as a place to store wool. It also offered rooms for travelers and merchants. These people came to the village for big wool fairs, which happened every year from the late 1200s until 1902.
From Priory to Pub
The building belonged to Hinton Priory, a nearby monastery. Hinton Priory was one of ten Carthusian monasteries in England during the Middle Ages. Monks are religious people who live together in a community.
The monks first started their monastery in a different place in 1222. But they didn't like that spot. So, in 1226, they asked for a new, quieter place. They were given land in Hinton Charterhouse and Norton St Philip. The new monastery was built in 1232.
People believe The George Inn started selling drinks around 1397. This might have been a special local permission from the head of Hinton Priory. Official government licenses for pubs only started much later, in 1552.
Changes Over Time
In the 1400s, more parts were added to the inn. The upper floors were built with a timber frame, which means they used wooden beams. The inn also has a special courtyard with balconies, called a galleried courtyard.
Famous Visitors and Events
The George Inn became an important stop for stage coaches. These were like old-fashioned buses that carried people between London and South West England.
Samuel Pepys' Visit
On June 12, 1668, a famous writer named Samuel Pepys stayed at the inn. He was traveling with his wife and servants from Salisbury to Bath. He wrote about his travels in his diary, which is very famous today.
The Monmouth Rebellion
The inn played a part in a historical event called the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685. This was a fight where the Duke of Monmouth tried to become king. After a battle, his army used The George Inn as their headquarters.
Later, after the rebellion failed, a judge named Judge Jeffreys used the inn as a courtroom. He held trials there for people involved in the rebellion.
Restoring a Historic Gem
In 1998, a big project started to fix up The George Inn. A company called Wadworth Brewery paid for the work. During this time, experts studied the building to learn more about its history.
They found out that part of the building had been taken down in the 1600s. They also used a special method called dendrochronology (say: den-dro-kron-OL-oh-jee) to study the tree rings in the roof timbers. This showed that the roof was replaced around 1431.
The roof repairs were a huge job! Workers had to take off nearly 30,000 stone tiles. Luckily, about 70% of them could be used again.
The George Inn on Screen
Because it's so old and looks so unique, The George Inn has been used as a setting in many films and TV shows.
- The Remains of the Day
- Tom Jones
- The Canterbury Tales
It has also appeared in TV shows based on famous books:
- Persuasion by Jane Austen
- Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
See also
- List of Grade I listed buildings in Mendip
- The George Inn, Southwark, another old coaching inn with a galleried courtyard
