Now don’t get excited food people, these taverns were for touring not eating.
Shield’s Tavern was closed, but had something the husband wanted to photograph.
Men. I can’t explain them….
But the gardens out back were lovely.
And I enjoyed a stroll among the well tended shrubbery.
I think Edward Scissorhands would approve.
There were vegetable gardens…
And wreaths…
I even saw an old ball and chain gate closure.
And then down the road, we found Wetherburn’s Tavern.
Where we had a guide give us the history and a tour.
Taverns back in the day were far different from what you might think. Rooms were rented for private parties, balls were held in the great rooms, owners lived behind the kitchen and the upstairs served as a hotel.
Which rooms you rented depended on your social standing.
Up to 12 men bunked in here.
I like cozy, but not that cozy.
Middle class families might sleep 8 in this room.
A private room? You had serious money.
Business deals were struck and government policies were made in rooms like these.
While the tavern keepers cranked out the meals in here….
That’s one high tech rotisserie right there.
Many taverns had their own smokehouses and livestock.
Which prompted a 30 minute conversation from my husband about being raised on a dairy farm.
An appropriate wreath was decorating their door as well.
We may not have seen any beer…. but it was still a tavern.
