If you’re wondering which of the oldest pubs in Cornwall is really the oldest, the sources disagree. The strongest claim is The Old Inn at St Breward, built in the 11th century.
If you want the bigger picture, start with the site’s guide to cornish pubs.
| Pub and claim | Figure |
|---|---|
| The Old Inn, St Breward: when it was built | 11th century |
| The Old Inn: claimed height above sea level | 720 feet |
| The Crown Inn, Lanlivery: serving travellers as an inn since | 12th century |
| Tinners Arms, Zennor: when it was built | 1271 |
| Turks Head, Penzance: an inn on the site since | 13th century |
| Weary Friar, Pillaton: became the Weary Friar in | the 1960s |
These figures come from Aspects Holidays and The Valley. Pub histories are disputed and can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
Which pub is the oldest in Cornwall?
No pub holds an agreed title. Aspects Holidays wrote in 2023 that with so many pubs claiming to be the oldest, nobody may ever know which truly came first.
As of The Valley’s June 2025 post, The Old Inn in St Breward is believed to be the oldest pub in Cornwall. It sits on Bodmin Moor and was built in the 11th century for monks working on the nearby church. Granite fireplaces from that period remain.
Aspects Holidays adds a twist: the building dates from the 11th century, but it only opened to the public in the 15th century. So “oldest” can mean the building, the site or the first time it served the public.
Other pubs are put forward by The Valley, a Classic guide to historic inns and Aspects Holidays:
- The Crown Inn, Lanlivery: records show an inn serving travellers since the 12th century, on the Saint’s Way pilgrimage route.
- Weary Friar, Pillaton, near Saltash: listed as a 12th century pub.
- Victoria Inn, Perranuthnoe: a building put at circa 12th century.
- Turks Head, Penzance: a name that dates back to at least 1233.
- Tinners Arms, Zennor: built in 1271.
Pubs built for the people who built the churches
A pattern runs through many of these stories: an inn that began as lodgings for church builders. The Tinners Arms in Zennor is the clearest case. Great British Life says it was built in 1271 for stone masons working on nearby St Senara’s Church.
According to The Valley, the church is part of the story of the Mermaid of Zennor. The novelist D.H. Lawrence is reported to have stayed at the pub in 1916, and the name comes from the tin mining industry.
St Kew Inn has a similar tale. Great British Life says the cellar is thought to be where the stone masons set up their own brewery, and that records from around 1469 show a glass window bought for the parish church. The first official documentation, though, is the deeds of 1709.
The Weary Friar near Saltash follows the same script. The Valley says it began as cottages built by monks while the church next door went up, and it took its current name in the 1960s.
Smugglers, pirates and harbour inns
Cornwall’s coast gave its old inns a second reputation. A Classic guide to historic inns says The Turks Head in Penzance has a courtyard tunnel entrance, once used for smuggling, that can still be seen. The same guide says the pub’s name dates back to at least 1233.
The same guide says the Halzephron Inn at Gunwalloe was originally built in 1468. A wall over 8ft thick holds a shaft said to have once led to a tunnel to the coast. One 19th-century landlord, Henry Cuttance, was a well-known smuggler but also saved dozens of lives from shipwrecks.
The guide also picks out these:
- The Ship Inn, Porthleven: a retreat for Cornish fishermen since at least the 17th century.
- The Bucket of Blood, Phillack: dated to the late 13th century, with a folklore story about a well full of blood.
- Lamorna Wink, Lamorna Cove: a name that may come from “Kiddlywink”, an old word for a simple beer house.
The blood story may have a duller explanation. The guide says the well more likely held water made red by run-off from local tin mining.
Why pub dates are so hard to pin down
The Valley admits that historical records are not always accurate, and lists only what it can confirm. Great British Life shows how far tradition and paperwork can drift apart:
- The Bush Inn, Morwenstow: a rumoured history back to AD 940, but confirmed roots in the 13th century.
- The Ship Inn, Porthleven: tradition says the 17th century, while official documents suggest the 18th century.
- Polgooth Inn, near St Austell: evidence of the 16th century, but most of the building is from the 19th century.
- The Sloop Inn, St Ives: reputed to date to circa 1312, though most of the building is from the 17th and 18th century.
Age of the building and age of the pub are different things. The Valley says Treguth Inn at Holywell Bay was originally a cottage dating back to the 13th century, but has been an inn only since the early 1900s.
The Jamaica Inn on Bodmin Moor shows the same gap. Wikipedia says an inn has stood on the main road through Bolventor since 1547, yet the current building dates from 1750. It also says the name is said to come from the local Trelawney family of landowners, not from smuggled rum.
The Bush Inn also has reported ghost sightings, including a sailor by the staircase, according to Great British Life. If ghost stories appeal, there is a separate guide to haunted pubs in cornwall.
Fire, thatch and a working brewery
The Pandora Inn at Mylor Bridge began as a farm, became a passage house and then The Ship. Great British Life says it took its name from HMS Pandora, which sank in 1791. A fire in March 2011 destroyed the whole first floor, and the owners restored the Grade II listed inn.
Aspects Holidays adds that the Grade II listed status meant only traditional materials and methods could be used. That is why the rebuilt pub keeps its old character.
In Helston, The Blue Anchor is said by the Classic guide to have brewed beer for more than 600 years. The tradition began with monks who ran a rest house from around the 13th century. The guide, which shows no publication date, says its Spingo ale makes it one of only four original brew pubs left in the UK.
For the look these pubs share, low beams, open fires and flagstone floors, see the guide to traditional cornish pubs.
Planning a visit to Cornwall’s old pubs
Many of these inns sit on walking routes, so you can pair a pint with a walk:
- The Crown Inn at Lanlivery is on the Saint’s Way, a historic pilgrimage route, says The Valley.
- The Bush Inn is close to the South-West Coast Path, according to the same post.
- The Old Inn on Bodmin Moor suits a moorland walk first, says Aspects Holidays.
Opening hours, menus, dog policies and ownership change, so confirm details with the pub before you travel. This site is independent and does not take bookings or enquiries for any venue.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the oldest pub in Cornwall?
Show answer
As of The Valley’s June 2025 post, The Old Inn at St Breward is believed to be the oldest, built in the 11th century. Other pubs, such as the Turks Head and the Crown Inn, make their own claims.
Which Cornish pub claims to be the highest?
Show answer
The Old Inn also claims to be the highest pub in Cornwall, at 720 feet above sea level, according to The Valley.
Is the Jamaica Inn one of Cornwall’s oldest pubs?
Show answer
Not by building. Wikipedia says an inn has stood there since 1547, but the current building dates from 1750.
Can you arrive at a Cornish pub by boat?
Show answer
Aspects Holidays’ 2023 roundup calls the Pandora Inn the only pub on its list that you can reach by boat, as it sits on Restronguet Creek. You can read the list on Aspects Holidays.
