Coeur de Lion, Bath

The Coeur de Lion, situated in a narrow street in the centre of the city, is reputedly Bath's smallest pub. The building is believed to date from 1749 and was originally known as Marchants Court. In around 1860 a public house known as the Avondown Stores (presumably because the beer came from the long closed Avondown brewery at Batheaston) was established at 4 Northumberland Place and in around 1880 the name of the pub was changed to the Coeur de Lion. Nobody knows the reason for the change but the name is thought to be unique to the UK. In 1886 the pub moved to its present premises at 17 Northumberland Place. Many years later the Devenish brewery acquired the Coeur. In 1990 Devenish attempted to close the pub but it was saved when Bath City council rejected planning permission to turn the pub into a shop following a major local campaign supported by the then Bath MP Chris Patten. More recently the pub has been leased from Punch by the local Abbey Ales brewery. One of the most striking features of the pub is its stained glass window featuring (ironically given the brewery's attempts to close the pub and its own eventual demise) the Devenish brewery name and crest.

Abbey Ales brewery shop has opened just next door (Sep 21) selling Abbey ales and related merchandise, local gin and bottled beers from nearby breweries.