Green Man Pubs

Sign rescued from The Green Man Flackwell Heath 2010 (Now in the COTGM archive)

The Wild Man began to appear on inn and tavern signs in the seventeenth century, the name was often used interchangeably with The Green Man and seems to refer to the Whifflers of pageantry. Over time many pubs called The Wild Man seem to have also become known as The Green Man. The History of Signboards published in 1866 by Larwood and Hotten refers to an undated quotation by John Bagford the English antiquarian and writer (1650-1716);

“They are called woudmen, or wildmen, thou’ at thes day we in ye signe call them Green Men, couered with grene boues and are used for singes by stiflers of strong watters … and a fit emblem for those that use that intosticating licker which berefts them of their sennes”

As well as pubs The Green Man also became a symbol for distillers. Two signs seem to have become popular; The Green Man and Still which was based on elements of the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Distillers and The Green Man, which again evolved over time to become a forester dressed in green.

There is also a strange interconnection between the Green Man and Robin Hood. Indeed some Green Man pubs changed their signs to foresters or Robin Hood from shaggy green men used as a symbol of the Distillers’ company in the 17th century. Apparently there are no pubs in Robin’s own county of Nottinghamshire named the Green Man but there are many Robin Hoods.

It also seems that some pubs are changing their signs to represent the traditional Church Green Man himself.

Here I would like to create a comprehensive list of Green Man public houses throughout the United Kingdom. If possible we would love to get digital photos of the current and indeed previous pub signs that adorn the establishment to put on the Company’s Flickr site Where possible any history that is available regarding the original naming of the pub would also be appreciated.

Green Man ales also exist, Waitrose produce their own “The Green Man” Ale. The Six Bells Brewery at Bishops Castle produced “Original Green Man Ale” for one day only at the Clun festival in 2009 (very nice it was too) . Green Man Ales in North Carolina USA produce a range of English Style Ales including: Green Man Gold Ale, Green Man Pale Ale, Green Man India Pale Ale, Green Man ESB, Green Man House Stout, Green Man Porter and Green Man Cask Conditioned Ale. And the Green Man Micro Brewery in New Zealand produce an even wider range of ales. There is a Green Jack Brewing Company in Lowerstoft.

North Cotswold Brewery produce a range of beers and feature a green man on their bottles.

Bedfordshire

Green Man (Biggleswade) South Hill Road, Stanford, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire. SG18 9JD

The Green Man (Lidlington) High Street, Lidlington, Bedfordshire. MK43 0RE

The Green Man (Eversholt) Church End, Eversholt, Bedfordshire. MK17 9DU

The Green Man (Luton) Duke Street, Luton. LU2 0HH (Closed around 2002 and is now a dance studio)

Berkshire

The Green Man (Hurst) Hinton Road, Hurst, Twyford, Berkshire. RG10 0BP

Buckinghamshire

Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire. HP10 9LS (Closed in early 2010)

Green Man (Prestwood) 2 High Street, Prestwood, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. HP16 9EB

The Green Man (Aylesbury) 32 Market Square, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. HP20 1TW

The Old Green Man (Little Brickhill) Watling Street, Little Brickhill, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. MK17

The Green Man (George Green) Uxbridge Road. George Green, Slough. SL3 6AN

The Green Man (Denham) Village Road, Denham, Buckinghamshire. UB9 5BH

The Green Man (Newport Pagnell) Silver Street, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. MK16 0EG

The Green Man (Olney) High Street, Lavendon, Olney, Buckinghamshire. MK46 4HA

The Green Man Colne, Cambridgeshire.

Cambridgeshire

Green Man (Trumpington) 55 High Street, Trumpington, Cambridgeshire. CB2 2HZ

The Green Man Leighton Bromswold, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. PE28 5AW (first licensed 1650)

The Green Man, 59 High St Grantchester, Cambridge. CB39NF

The Green Man 1 East Street, Colne, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 3LZ

Derbyshire

The Green Man 1 Canal Bridge, Willington, Derbyshire DE65 6BP

The Green Man and Black’s Head Royal Hotel 10 St John Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 1GH

(This is where the ancient game of Royal Shrovetide Football is played each year)

Currently a clothes shop but rumoured to be reopening

Devon

The Greene Man (Newton Abbot) 67 East Street, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 2JR

The Jack in the Green Inn Rockbeare, Nr Exeter, Devon. EX5 2EE

Dorset

The Green Man, King Stag, Sturminster Newton, Dorset. DT10 2AY

The Green Man, 1 Victoria Rd, Wimborne, Dorset. BH21 1EN

Essex

The Green Man (Bradwell-on-Sea) Waterside, Bradwell-on-Sea, Southminster, Essex. CM07QX

Green Man Pub Farm Hill Road, Waltham Abbey, Essex. EN9

The Green Man & Courtyard, School Rd, Toothill, Essex CM5 9SD

The Green Man (Boutique Hotel and Restaurant) The Street, Takeley, Essex. CM226QU

Hampshire

The Green Man (Winchester) 53 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire. SO23 9EH

The Green Man Hotel (Old Harlow) Mulberry Green, Old Harlow, Essex. CM17 0ET

Herefordshire

Green Man Inn (Fownhope) Fownhope, Hereford, Herefordshire. HR1 4PE

Hertfordshire

The Green Man (Great Offley) 5 High Street, Great Offley, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. SG5 3AR

The Green Man (Potters Bar) High Street, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire. EN6 5DB

The Green Man 37 Market Hill, Royston, Hertfordshire. SG8 9JU

The Green Man (Ickleford) 35 Arlesey Rd, Ickleford, Hertfordshire. SG5 3UX

The Green Man Great Wymondley, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG4 7EU

The Green Man Leverstock Green Road, Hemel Hempstead HP3 8QE

The Green Man Mill Green Lane, Hatfield

Kent

The Green Man (Hodsoll Street) Hodsoll Street, Kent. TN15 7LE

The Green Man (Longfield) Main Road, Longfield Hill, Longfield, Kent. DA3 7AS

The Green Man (Welling) 168 Wickham Street, Welling, Kent. DA16 3NL

Lancashire

The Green Man Inn (Goosnargh) Silk Mill Lane, Inglewhite, Lancashire. PR3 2LP

London

The Green Man and Still (EC1) 161 Whitecross street, St Luke EC1 – At 173 Upper Whitecross Street in 1856 and 1882; at 174 Whitecross Street before 1895; This pub closed in 2006 and is currently empty

The Green Man (Putney Heath) Putney Heath London. SW15 3NG

The Green Man (Fitzrovia) 36 Riding House St, London W1W 7ES (traditional London Cider House)

The Green Man (Muswell Hill) 56 Muswell Hill, (Now sadly renamed “The Hill”)

The Green Man and French Horn 54 Saint Martin’s Lane, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4EA

The Green Man, 308 Edgware Rd London W2 1DY

The Green Man, 144 Essex Road, Islington N1 8LX (Situated right on the corner of Essex Road and Greenman Street. In the 1700’s Greenman Street was known as Greenman Lane)

The Green Man Inn, Leytonstone, Green Man Roundabout (A landmark since at least 1668 now called O’Neills)

The Green Man, 355 Bromley Road, London, SE6 2RP (A pub for over 200 years now redeveloped as a community housing association, café and market and still called The Green Man)

The Green Man, 190 Plashet Grove, East Ham London, E6 (Demolished 2008/2009)

The Green Man (Soho) 57 Berwick Street, Soho, London, Greater London, W1F 8SR – A pub of this name has existed here at 57 Berwick Street at least since 1738.

Lincolnshire

The Green Man (Stallingborough) 110 Station Road, Stallingborough, Grimsby, Lincolnshire. DN41 8AP (Since at least 1881)

The Green Man (Scamblesby) Old Main Rd Scamblesby Louth Lincolnshire. LN11 9XG

The Green Man (Norton Disney) 1 Main Street, Norton Disney Lincolnshire. LN6 9JU

Merseyside

The Green Man 222-224 Vauxhall Rd, Liverpool, Merseyside. L58TZ (demolished in ?)

Middlesex

The Green Man (Denham Village) Village Road, Denham, Uxbridge, Middlesex. UB9 5BH

The Green Man (Wembley) Dagmar Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex. HA98DF

The Green Man (Hatton) Green Man Lane, Hatton, Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 0PZ

Norfolk

Green Man (Rackheath) Wroxham Road, Rackheath, Norwich, Norfolk. NR13 6NQ

The Green Man Methwold Hythe, White Plot Rd, Thetford, Norfolk. IP26 4QP

The Green Man (Little Snoring) Holt Road, Little Snoring, Norfolk. NR21 0AY

Northamptonshire

Green Man (Brackley Hatch) Syresham, Brackley, Northamptonshire. NN13 5TX

Staffordshire

Green Man (Milwich) Milwich, Staffordshire. ST18 0EG

Green Man (Tamworth) Clifton Campville, Tamworth, Staffordshire. B79 0AX

The Green Man Church Lane, Middleton,Tamworth, Staffordshire. B78 2AN

Green Man Inn (Hixon) Lea Road, Hixon, Stafford. ST18 0NR

The Green Man 38 Compton, Leek, Staffordshire ST135NH (Now a unique guesthouse)

Green Man Inn High Street, Swindon, Dudley, DY3 4NR.

Green Man Inn, Tunstall, Suffolk

Suffolk

The Green Man (Six Mile Bottom) London Road, Six Mile Bottom., Nr Newmarket, Suffolk. RH13 8JT

Green Man Inn, Woodbridge Road, Tunstall, Woodbridge. IP122JE

Surrey

The Famous Green Man (Ewell) 71 High Street, Ewell Epsom Surrey. KT17 1RX

The Green Man (Burpham) Demolished and land used to build an Aldi in 2008

Sussex

The Green Man (at Jolesfield) Church Road, Partridge Green, West Sussex. RH13 8JT

The Green Man (Ringmer) Lewes Road, Ringmer, East Sussex. BN8 5NA

Green Man Ale & Cider House 17 South Street, Tarring, Worthing BN14 7PA (opened 2016)

Somerset

The Green Man (formerly The Bell) 21 Alfred Place, Kingsdown, Bristol. BS2 8HD

The Green Man (Bath) Unknown location on Broad Street c.1776

Warwickshire

The Green Man in Middleton Church Lane, Middleton, Tamworth, B782AN

The Green Man (Kenilworth) 168 Warwick Road, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 1HS

The Green Man (Leamington Spa) 114 Lower Tachbrook Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV31 2BQ

The Green Man 14 Daventry Road, Rugby, Dunchurch CV22 6NS

Wiltshire

There was an inn at Rode Hill called The Green Man

Worcestershire

The Green Man (Worcester) 40 The Tything, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR1 1JL

Peter Aller’s basement pub Green Man sign

USA

Jack of the Wood Pub – Home of Green Man Ales
95 Patton Ave, Asheville North Carolina www.jackofthewood.com

Peter Aller has his very own basement Green Man pub in Cartersville, Georgia. Peter is originally from Leek in Staffordshire and his wife Kathi from Georgia.

The Green Man Inn is a ground-floor three-room suite in the town of Floyd in Virginia. http://greenmaninnfloydva.com/

New Zealand

The Green Man 53 Main Street Greytown

The Green Man Pub Cnr Willeston and Victoria’s Streets, Wellington, Wellington City NZ 6001

France

The Green Man (Bar and Restaurant) 21 Rue Pasteur 25000 Besancon

(now sold and sadly likely to change it’s name)

Many thanks to the following for contributing or verifying information on the above:

Mark Grist

David Middleton

Phillip Green

Vanessa Piggott