The Mug House is a traditional
public house located in the village of
Claines,
Worcestershire,
England, which dates back to the 15th century.
Overview
The Mug House pub is owned by
Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries and offers several Banks's bitters along with one or two other guest
ale
Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops.
As with most beers, ale typicall ...
s which rotate every few weeks. The owners have chosen to maintain a traditional atmosphere by not introducing games machines or music to the pub.
The Mug House has featured in the local news several times over the last few years due to stories that the pub is in some way
haunted
Haunted or The Haunted may refer to:
Books
* ''Haunted'' (Armstrong novel), by Kelley Armstrong, 2005
* ''Haunted'' (Cabot novel), by Meg Cabot, 2004
* ''Haunted'' (Palahniuk novel), by Chuck Palahniuk, 2005
* ''Haunted'' (Angel novel), a 200 ...
.
The past few landlords have all claimed that there are regularly strange occurrences at the pub such as glasses smashing or dull knocking noises coming from the beer cellar at night. This has only increased the popularity of the pub.
Location
The Mug House is situated in the village of Claines, about three miles north of the city of
Worcester. The exact location of the pub is near the junction where Claines Lane meets Cornmeadow Lane, just to the rear of
Claines church. The situation of the pub is such that one has to walk through, or very near, the graveyard of the church in order to access it. The pub is one of only two pubs in England to be situated on
consecrated ground
In Christian countries a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster-Scots, this can also ...
.
[Chris Arnot]
Worcestershire Pub Guide: The Mug House, Claines
'' The Daily Telegraph'', 8 September 2007.
Interior
The pub consists of four main public spaces inside on the ground floor. There is a back room, bar, hatch and a snug. The back room is most commonly used by diners at lunch time and from this room there is a view of the
Malvern Hills. The hatch tends to be frequented when the other rooms are fully occupied. The ceilings inside the Mug House are quite low and as the building is timber framed many of the walls are not straight, because the building has settled over time. In order to access the toilets one must exit the main building because the toilets themselves are located in a separate outhouse.
The building is
timber framed but there is a cellar.
Awards
The Mug House has won a Jubilee Heritage Award in a national competition to find Britain's prettiest pubs. Mounted by the Green Organisation, the competition was launched to commemorate
Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in 2002 and the role pubs and landlords play in safeguarding natural heritage. The garden, described as a stunning blaze of red, white and blue blooms by all that have enjoyed it, helped secure the award.
References
The Mug House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mug House, The
Pubs in Worcestershire
Grade II listed buildings in Worcestershire
Buildings and structures in Worcester, England