Preston has played host to a plethora of pub signs through the years, especially considering the city once held a reputation for having a different pub for every day of the year!
Pub names depict everything from local folklore, historic events, royalty and notable characters.
A simple pub sign can hold the key to a town’s past and when it comes to the history of pub names, each one is different.
We’ve dipped into the archives to find some of the best old pub signs that welcome punters to cross the threshold.
17. The Stephensons Arms
As you can see from this old sign outside The Stephensons Arms in Preston - they adopted a typical coat of arms heraldry theme. Thought this might not always have been the case as earlier images show the sign in a different position high on the pub wall. The pub was later renamed Churchills and bore a pub sign showing the former Prime Minister's face Photo: Kevin McGuinness
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19. Fox & Grapes
The name Fox and Grapes probably refers to one of Aesop's Fables. The story concerns a fox that tries to eat grapes from a vine but cannot reach them. Rather than admit defeat, he states they are undesirable. That story can be seen here in the sign that used to hang outside the boozer. The name was likely given to this particular pub due to the name of the street it was located on - Fox Street in Preston Photo: Archive
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