The Pubs That Built Britain

There’s nothing more British than a pub!

In The Pubs That Built Britain, the Bikers take to the road to pull up a bar stool, enjoy a pint and explore the hundreds of years of extraordinary history and tradition of these charismatic watering holes.  With their customary warmth, charm and humour, Si and Dave visit villages, towns and cities across Britain to meet passionate local experts, landlords and locals determined to keep alive the pubs, inns and taverns which have been at the heart of our communities for years.

From Cornwall’s Jamaica Inn to The Anchor where Samuel Pepys watched the Great Fire of London sweep through the city; from inns amidst Oxford’s dreaming spires serving some of Britain’s finest minds for centuries to the pubs frequented by the notorious Kray Twins; from the Lake District taverns that hosted the first ever tourists to pubs that served the ship builders of Glasgow.

'Si and I were so surprised that a series exploring the history of great British pubs had never been done before, and thrilled that we were asked to tell the story of the Pubs That Built Britain,' says Dave. 'Pubs have been at the centre of our communities, rich and poor, for over a thousand years.  But this isn't just a story about beer and skittles. Over fifteen episodes we examine the rich history and tradition of watering holes dating from the English Civil War to the Liverpool 'Mersey Beat' generation, the body-snatching Edinburgh pubs of Burke and Hare to the miners’ pubs of South Wales - and we’ve met some brilliant, eccentric and fascinating people along the way.'