Quirky pub names?

The Three Blackbirds.

Luton was well-known for its hat making and consequently has lots of pub names to reflect that -
The Milliner's Arms
The Brim and Crown
and, most recently, The Fedora and Firkin.

Very Down to earth humour,
The Cock Inn.
Have seen several, always makes me snigger.

We had one near me in Wales called the Cwm Inn, which means valley in Welsh, but was a clever play on words - sadly closed now.

downtoearth

Very Down to earth humour,
The Cock Inn.
Have seen several, always makes me snigger.

Many years ago when we were buying a house, we went on a drive around to look at the outsides before viewing.

That night reviewing the sheaves of details my husband said “Where was this one?”

“Oh next to that pub. The Rising Cock.”

On returning to view we found it was actually next to

The Organ Inn😳

The Colpitts is the oldest pub in Durham City, built 1836 and awarded the best run pub in Durham last year.
As to the name - could it be a surname or just a derivation of coal pits, many of which were in many of the villages around the City.

Lathyrus

The Swan with Two Nicks.
I believe the ‘two nicks’ referred to markings put on their beaks by Vintners back in the day.

www.theswanwithtwoneckslongdon.co.uk/

That reminded me of The Swan With Two Necks, near where I used to live, TillyTrotter.

There is a pub in Fonthill Bishop called the Bird and Carter.

Georgesgran

The Colpitts is the oldest pub in Durham City, built 1836 and awarded the best run pub in Durham last year.
As to the name - could it be a surname or just a derivation of coal pits, many of which were in many of the villages around the City.

Durham City has been in existence for 100s of years. I don't believe it was devoid of hostelries until 1836. 🤔

The only pub left in a Durham village I know is called The Australian. Goodness knows why..

Ones we’ve visited with names that made me smile are:
The Knockerdown Inn
The Rampant Horse
The Spanker
The Horn in Hand

There used to be a pub in Glasgow called The Muscular Arms.

"The Dirty Bottles" at Alnwick in Northumberland, not far from where we live. A pub which is around 2 centuries old, and has an interesting history. www.thedirtybottles.co.uk/about/

The Nobody Inn near Exeter in Devon
The Who'd Have Thought It, also in Devon

The Dog and Muffler in Gloucestershire

And one I used to visit occasionally:
The Goat's Head in Abbots Bromley

TillyTrotter

The Swan with Two Nicks.
I believe the ‘two nicks’ referred to markings put on their beaks by Vintners back in the day.

Interesting.
I know the Worshipful Company of Dyers made "one nick".
The Queen/King none.

In Nottingham city centre, we've got The Blind Rabbit

There was a pub called the Bull and Spectacles in Staffordshire but I think it's shut now.

The Help Me Thro
The Last Drop Inn

LRavenscroft

Oreo

There’s a lot of pubs rebranding themselves now as the slug and lettuce or rat and drainpipe or whatever.
Why is the Sir Walter Raleigh quirky? A well known figure in Tudor times and he came from Devon.
All the pubs I know have kind of normal names tbh so am waiting to see what posters come up with

I just thought it was rather noble, stylish and swashbuckling. 'I'm off to the Sir Walter Raleigh for a pint'.

I'm off to the Sir Joshua Reynolds (The Jodh) to do a bit of painting!

We lived near a pub called The Post Office, the next door neighbour used to take the dog for a walk to The Post Office and not come back for an hour or two. It was a while before his wife twigged on to where he went (we all realised and thought she did too 😁).

The Quiet Woman in Staffordshire. So called because a young barmaid used to wait on a group of men who held their monthly Masonic meetings in the bar. They considered what they discussed to be top secret and swore the barmaid not to repeat anything she heard whilst doing her work. But, somehow, one of their secrets was leaked and the men instantly blamed the young barmaid. She begged to be allowed to keep her job because her family depended on her wages. The men agreed on the agreement that she'd have her tongue removed, thus rendering her unable to tell any more secrets.

The Pennycomequick (Falmouth)
The Butcher & Beast, (Heighington)
The Strait & Narrow (Lincoln)

Pennycomequick

It's also the name of an area of Plymouth (and a roundabout there).

Sexey's Arms, Somerset.
My Dad used to say he'd love to be in there. Sadly, he wasn't joking.