The Baverstock Arms in Basingstoke, England
Like so many pubs across the United Kingdom, the Baverstock Arms is surrounded by history. Unlike most historic inns, however, this is not the location of a significant event, nor is it haunted or the subject of traditional tales. This Basingstoke pub is surrounded by history in a far more literal sense: It operates from within an actual museum.
Opened in 2000, the Milestones Living History Museum recreates a typical Hampshire town frozen in time between the Victorian and post–World War II eras. On a series of cobbled and tram-lined streets, museum-goers are able to take a peek into the homes of “locals” and explore a street of shops, including watchmakers, sweet shops, and greengrocers. Overlooking the bandstand and picnic green, however, stands the establishment ubiquitous to every British town: the watering hole, the “local,” the pub.
Named for James Baverstock, a local brewer who applied scientific methods to improve the quality of ale, the Baverstock Arms is a working pub located on the museum’s Jubilee Street. Here, patrons can grab a pint, soft drink, or cup of tea, and rest their legs while watching the world of centuries past go by. If your tipple is timely, you may even be able to join the museum’s resident pianist for a sing-along of old favorites.
