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The White Bull, Ribchester

Coordinates: 53°48′43″N 2°31′56″W / 53.81201°N 2.53232°W / 53.81201; -2.53232
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The White Bull
The building in 2024
Map
General information
TypePublic house
AddressChurch Street
Town or cityRibchester, Lancashire
CountryEngland
Coordinates53°48′43″N 2°31′56″W / 53.81201°N 2.53232°W / 53.81201; -2.53232
Completed1707 (317 years ago) (1707)
Renovated2017
OwnerJulie Gainford (since 2023)[1]
LandlordJulie Gainford[1]
Technical details
MaterialSandstone
Floor count2
Other information
Number of rooms3
Website
http://whitebullribchester.com

The White Bull (also known as the White Bull Inn) is a public house and inn on Church Street (formerly one of the Roman Watling Streets)[1] in the English village of Ribchester, Lancashire. It dates to 1707, although an alehouse is believed to have previously stood on the site.[2] It is a Grade II listed building with some unique exterior features.[3][4][5][6]

The building, which overlooks The Hillock, the ancient centre of the village, is made of sandstone with slate roofs, in two storeys and four bays. On the front is a protruding two-storey gabled porch with two pairs of Doric columns, possibly taken from a nearby Roman fort,[7] specifically the tepidarium of the Roman baths. They are believed to have been recovered from the bed of the River Ribble.[8]

The doorway has a moulded surround. Above the portico is a rustic wooden representation of a white bull. The right bay has been altered and contains a door and modern shop windows. To the left, a former stable has a doorway with a plain surround, a blocked doorway converted into a window with a dated lintel, and a circular pitching hole.[4][5] The original door, to the right of today's main entrance, was filled in in the 1940s.[9]

In the late 18th century, the building also served as the local courthouse for many years, with one of its rooms used for holding prisoners.[8]

The inn, which has three rooms, was put up for sale, in January 2017, at an asking price in excess of £385,000.[10] It was bought by the Brooks family, who had previously owned it around the turn of the century, and was refurbished.[1] It was sold again, in late 2023, to Julie Gainford.

The pub was patronised by the members of Time Team during their three-day visit to the village, in September 1993, which was focused on nearby 2 Church Street.[7]

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d White Bull Ribchester official website
  2. ^ "Notice under Section 91 of the Localism Act 2011" – Ribble Valley Borough Council, section 8
  3. ^ "About Us" at thewhitebullribchester.co.uk
  4. ^ a b Hartwell & Pevsner (2009), p. 574
  5. ^ a b Historic England & 1308491
  6. ^ "Ribchester History Trail" - e-voice.org.uk
  7. ^ a b On the Edge of an Empire | FULL EPISODE | Time Team – Time Team Classics, YouTube, 20 September 2019
  8. ^ a b 50 Gems of Lancashire: The History & Heritage of the Most Iconic Places, Robert Nicholls (2019) ISBN 9781445684949
  9. ^ "Ribchester Parish Council | Parish Council | Historical Buildings". www.ribchesterparishcouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Landmark Ribble Valley village pub is up for sale for £385,000 plus" - Lancashire Evening Post

Sources

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See also

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