Peak District Pubs: A Pint-Sized Social History

The Peak District’s pub heritage is as rich and tasty as the beer that foams from the pumps, and via its inns, taverns and hotels we can trace centuries of social history in one of the most beautiful parts of Britain. This is the story of the packhorse men and lead miners, shepherds and navvies, and the evolution of the traditional Peak District pub from humble alehouse to the present day.

We learn about haunted pubs, themed pubs, estate pubs and temperance pubs, as well as one or two pubs which are not what they seem at all. There’s an explanation of pub names and signs, revealing loyalties to crown, church and squire; an introduction to a few pub heroes and villains, rituals and merry-making; plus a slightly baffled look at some odd pub pastimes involving toes, chickens and a hole in a wall.

Along the way we raise a glass to some of the many local pubs that have been consigned to the great brewery wagon in the sky, and see how others are adapting to the challenges of today - from changing social patterns and lifestyles through to a global pandemic - with small-scale brewing and pub shops, micropubs and community ownership.