These two historic UK pubs have just won top heritage awards

British pubs go way back. When the Romans first invaded (yes, we’re taking it that far back), they didn’t just bring straight roads and sewage systems – they also brought their tabernae. Basically, the Roman version of a drinking tavern.

While today’s boozers likely look a little different than they did back in the first century, they’re still an essential part of our culture. What’s a Friday night without a trip to the local with your mates, or a Sunday without a roast? 

Which is why, every year, the beer experts at the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) dish out prizes to celebrate the best boozers in the land. CAMRA has already unveiled the best pub in every UK region for 2026, and crowned the best beer in the UK this year. 

Now, it’s announced the winners of its Heritage Pub Revival Awards, which honour the landlords and landladies reviving drinking dens with historic importance. As CAMRA puts it: ‘The Heritage Pub Revival Award recognises pubs or pub operators who have renewed the fortunes of a pub on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Interiors, by preserving its heritage features, benefiting the business and having a positive impact on its local community.’

The North Star in Steventon, Oxfordshire, won the grand prize in 2026. Dating back to the late 15th century, the boozer has been owned by current landlady Kerry Tyrrell’s family for around 200 years, and recently underwent a major refurb to fix damp and preserve the Grade II-listed building.

The Beacon Hotel, a pub and brewery tap in Sedgley, West Midlands, was also recognised thanks to its work to transform a sitting room space in the building into another space for punters to gather, and a replacement of the old conservatory in the Grade II-listed building. 

Both pubs were crowned ahead of Heritage Open Days, a week-long festival in England that hosts free events for history buffs.

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