J D Wetherspoon plc is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It operates the sub-brand of Lloyds No.1 bars, and 56 Wetherspoon hotels. Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional premises, such as former cinemas and banks, into pubs. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Beer terrace at The Lord High Constable of England in Gloucester Docks
Beckett's Bank in Park Row, Leeds, its name reflecting the building's former use
Entrance to The Palladium, Llandudno, a theatre converted to pub in 2001.
A pub is a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in the late 17th century, to differentiate private houses from those open to the public as alehouses, taverns and inns. Today, there is no strict definition, but CAMRA states a pub has four characteristics:is open to the public without membership or residency
serves draught beer or cider without requiring food be consumed
has at least one indoor area not laid out for meals
allows drinks to be bought at a bar
A thatched country pub, the Williams Arms, near Braunton, Devon, England
A city pub, the World's End, Camden Town, London
The Ale-House Door (painting of c. 1790 by Henry Singleton)
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, Hertfordshire, which once held the Guinness World Record for the oldest pub in England
