The Recruiting Sergeant Beerhouse

There's a proper bit of English pub history tucked into St. Neots that most visitors walk straight past without realising. The Recruiting Sergeant is one of only a handful of beerhouses that survives from the 18th century - a time when these unlicensed drinking establishments were where everyday folk actually went, unlike the more formal inns. The building itself is modest, unassuming even, but that's rather the point. This is where ordinary soldiers were signed up, where the landlord would serve rough beer to labourers and travellers, where real life happened.

You're looking at original timber framing and period architecture that genuinely takes you back. It's not a museum experience - more a chance to stand in a space and understand how people actually lived and drank centuries ago. History buffs will find it genuinely interesting; families with older children who aren't just after amusement arcades might enjoy the tangible sense of age. Younger kids will probably be bored within minutes, though.

It's free to look at from outside and worth a detour if you're already exploring St. Neots town centre - the walk's minimal. The Recruiting Sergeant sits conveniently close to both the St. Neots Camping and Caravanning Club Site and Cambridgeshire Lakes if you're basing yourself in the area for a park holiday. Best visited during daylight hours when you can actually see the building details properly. Not a two-hour stop, but a solid fifteen-minute proper history moment.