Brighton has long been an important seaside town, and today draws in visitors from all over Britain and beyond for its varied nightlife, rich history and attractive waterfront. In 1800, Brighton had forty-one inns and taverns, and by 1860 there were well over 450, echoing the town's growth in popularity through the Regency and early Victorian eras. A recent resurgence of interest in real ale has also seen a welcome boom in micro-breweries, placing Brighton firmly on the beer-lover's map. David Muggleton takes us on a tour of these watering holes, including the long-established venerable...

Ever since the days when it was the starting point for voyages of discovery to the New World, the old port of Bristol has boasted a wealth of taverns, inns, alehouses, and public houses. Most of the older drinking establishments that have survived have stories to tell; frequently quirky or surprising, always interesting and often with nautical links. Some involve real historical figures such as Daniel Defoe and Alexander Selkirk, the model for Robinson Crusoe, while others are connected with fictional characters like Long John Silver. And some were used by smugglers, press gangs, privateers...

Clerkenwell and Islington are two of London's most historic districts; areas where radicalism once thrived and heavy industry flourished, and where poverty and lawlessness were commonplace. This diverse and colourful history can be traced in the area's many pubs. The ancient parish of Clerkenwell, located just outside the City of London's walls, was historically the home of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Later, it became famous for its watchmaking and printing industry. Dickens knew Clerkenwell, and it features in Oliver Twist, while it was here that Vladimir Lenin sowed...