But none of that helps to verify the claim to the title of England’s oldest pub – so what does?
Wright said, put simply, none of the other pubs possessed the archaeological evidence, archival references or scientific data “to actually back up the claims”.
He said: “It’s all about carefully placing all of the evidence together and working out in what order the real claimants go – and The George came out with the crown.”
Pub historian Charo Havermans agreed with that assertion.
“The strongest claims are when the history meets the science,” she said.
“For example, tree ring dating can give us an idea of how old the timber or the wood used is.
“What we know about those times is that people wouldn’t dilly dally so if they’ve cut down a tree, they’re going to use it then,” Havermans said.
“It’s a pretty accurate way of knowing when the building materials were used to create that structure.”
Havermans also said historical records such as licensing data, local maps, or the Domesday Book could help date a pub.
However, we may never truly know where the oldest boozers are – a sentiment reinforced by Guinness World Records which has “rested” the accolade for the oldest pub since 2000, “when it became clear that it was not possible to verify it in full”.
A spokeswoman for Guinness World Records said it was “never able to state definitively which was the oldest pub in the country, since the age and historical usage of buildings is, in many cases, uncertain”.
