Most people think of the country pub as of having ceilings with wooden beans, a flagstone floor and a wall that is decorated with shining brass and copper utensils, the delightful aroma of wood smoke that comes from a warm open log fire that mingles with the odour of the wines, beers and spirits. (Photo, left. is the Tichbourne Arms, Tichbourne)

This is what the majority of country inns consist of due to the landlord knowing full well what attracts the people from the towns and cities of England. Not all want the noise of juke boxes and slot machines but prefer a wam, homely and comfortable ambience.

Though hidden behind this cosy image can be found centuries of tradition that stems back to the medieval period when the inn was a sanctuary for travellers. Here they took shelter for the night with a drink and a hot meal, maybe such inns as this were first set up by hospitable monks, as in the sparsely populated and mainly rural Britain the monasteries were the only safe and certain refuge for the traveller. It did not matter if they were pilgrims or just ordinary travellers, the monks thought it was their Christian duty to make them feel welcome.

But rather than having strangers in the monastery itself the monks decided to set up hospices away from the building, and here travellers were entitled to a 'dole' of food and drink, one of these places which still carry on the tradition is the Hospice of St Cross which is just outside of Winchester, and the visitor can ask for a piece of bread and a drop of ale.

However after Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in 1539, these hospices became inns that were normally run by lay brothers who were in fact the first innkeepers of the land. At Glastonbury is the George and Pilgrim and Guildford has the Angel, another Angel is at Walsingham and The King's Head can be found at Aylesbury, and are all inns which started off in this way. There are also some inns situated on great estates which are linked to the monastic origin, here accommodation was available when there was no room at the manor house. Many of these still carry the name and arms of the local family such as the Davenport Arms at Marton in Cheshire.

With the expansion of the villages the role of the village inn changed and it became more of a social centre for the villagers as well as being a source of accommodation for the way farer. This is what gave the public house the separate public, saloon and private bars where the people who during the day, worked together could sit separate during the evenings. The public bar was renowned for its sawdust covered floor, solid wooden bench type seats and a dartboard. It was here that the farm workers could relax away from their employers who would be sitting in the saloon or private bar, entertaining their friends in a bit more comfort, and having to pay a couple of pence more for the privilege.

For those who preferred to have their drink at home there was the 'Bottle and Jug' which can still be found in a lot of the older village inns, here you could buy draught beer which would be poured into a jug or bottle that the customer brought himself.

Some of the bigger villages would have more than one hostelry and this gave the customer more choice. Country Inns would range from either timber framed and thatched buildings that often dated back to the 16th century to the red brick Victorian 'drinking parlours' up to the modern style pub with its juke box and video games, BUT they all had one thing in common - the inn sign which not only announces what the place is but relates to part of its history as well.

The Inn sign is one of the few surviving examples that show how symbols were used to denote a trade or profession of the occupant of the building, other examples include the pestle and mortar of the chemist and the blood stained wrappings of the barber surgeon denoted by the red and white striped pole. An early example of inn sign was a bush or branches of greenery that was fixed to the outside of the building, this was to symbolise Bacchus who was the Greek god of wine and it was from this tradition that pubs were called The Bush. The example here is the Forest of Bere.

Researching the origins of pub signs is fascinating and often they are straightforward with names closely associated with trades or professions; The Carpenter's Arms, The Baker's Arms. The Jolly Farmer and the Wagon and Horses. Often national and local heroes are depicted in these signs. Tthe Lord Nelson or Duke of Wellington can often be found gazing down from the sign posts. (The photo,right, shows The Anchor at Redbridge)

But like most research some of the names of the pubs can be a bit more obscure, one example is the Pig and Whistle, which is thought to have come from the Saxon piggen -(a milking pail), and Wassail (good health) as in the early days the beer was served in pails into which the customers would dip their mugs. The Goat and Compasses may date back from when the inns were run by monks for it is believed that a an inebriated drinker may have had trouble saying 'God encompasseth us'!

The Alehouse is distinct from the inn and goes back to the Middle Ages when a housewife would brew her own beer as well as cook and if she made a bit extra she would often sell it to travellers that passed by. A few alehouses still exist in the country districts and these are normally small place that is run by the woman of the house as a hobby or part time job.

Changes in the role of country inns came about during the late 18th century with the coming of the canals, and also to the regular coaching routes that were set up.

Coaching inns are normally to be found in towns or villages that were on or near a major a major route and can generally be recognised by the large archway leading into a courtyard,  allowing  passengers to alight prior to staying overnight. As they enjoyed a much deserved rest and a meal the horses would be changed ready for the next part of their journey.

 These inns have hardly changed over the years and they offer the same low ceilings, cosy bedrooms and the courtyard is now a car park for customers. The waterside inns were established mostly where a ferry crossing was sited or a waterway of some kind,  The Ferry at Horning on the Norfolk Broads and the Ferryboat Inn at Holywell on the River Ouse are two examples. The canal pubs were mainly for the bargees and were often found at lock gates, examples of these are the Navigation, The Black Horse and The Barge Inn, all had links with the way of life on the canal.

Today however a lot of changes have taken place in the country inn, not only can the tradition beers and spirits be found, but, tastes have changed and wines from all over the world can be found, American Bourbon whiskey and even Japanese whiskey, Mexican beers and spirits, but up to the 16th century ale was the main drink for the Englishman, dark mild and fairly sweet.

It was in Germany that a brewer discovered what was a pungent smelling plant which gave a sharp flavour to the drink, the Hop, and it is believed to have been brought to England in the 16th century.

A lot of inns brewed their own beers up to the 19th century, water being the basic component, and some areas are more famed for better beer due to the different type of water which can locally be found. This is why Burton-upon-Trent has become one of the most famous brewing areas for a thousand years. Brewers who had a good water supply found ways of getting their products to a much wider market, and thus the large brewing companies evolved. These in turn set up their own chain of pubs and sold only their own beers.

The mainstay of any brewery is the Master Brewer, it is he who says which proportions of the ingredients will make his beer taste better than any rivals. But the process is very much the same for all, crushed malted barley is first steeped in hot water and the extract is boiled with hops and and yeast is added to ferment it.

Some country inns brew their own beer still today, the Blue Anchor at Helston in Cornwall, The Three Tuns at Bishop's Castle in Shropshire, but not all local breweries have succumbed to the giant concerns, and quite a few still remain independent and now enjoy a wide popularity with the customer who demands beer that is traditionally brewed compared to the pressurised beers that were introduced during the 1950s.

Not everyone wants video games or juke boxes, and traditional pub games are making a comeback, some never went away at all. The most popular is Darts which is believed to have derived from archery competitions and often a visitor can find a darts tournament in play when calling at a country pub. Not only the old men of the village can be found sitting down playing dominoes, skittles have made a popular comeback with a lot of pubs adding a skittle alley. In its earliest form Skittles had flat wooden 'cheeses' instead of a ball to pitch at the skittles. Bar Billiards and Shove ha'penny and table skittles are also becoming popular.

Many inns were 'brought up to date' or 'modernised' during the latter part of the 19th century and many lost their identity and character, but, in recent years this process had done an about turn. Plastic coverings and plasterboard have been ripped out to reveal the original old beamed ceilings and mellow stone walls and warm brick.