| The White Bull | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The building in 2024 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Public house |
| Location | Church Street, Ribchester, Lancashire, England |
| Coordinates | 53°48′43″N2°31′56″W / 53.81201°N 2.53232°W |
| Completed | 1707 |
| Renovated | 2017 |
| Owner | Unknown |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Sandstone |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 3 |
| Website | |
| https://whitebullribchester.com | |
The White Bull (also known as the White Bull Inn) is a public house and inn on Church Street (formerly one of the Roman Watling Streets) [1] in the English village of Ribchester, Lancashire. It dates to 1707, although an alehouse is believed to have previously stood on the site. [2] It is a Grade II listed building [3] with some unique exterior features. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Contents
The building, which overlooks The Hillock, the ancient centre of the village, is made of sandstone with slate roofs, in two storeys and four bays. On the front is a protruding two-storey gabled porch with two pairs of Doric columns, possibly taken from a nearby Roman fort, [8] specifically the tepidarium of the Roman baths. They are believed to have been recovered from the bed of the River Ribble. [9]
The doorway has a moulded surround. Above the portico is a rustic wooden representation of a white bull. The right bay has been altered and contains a door and modern shop windows. To the left, a former stable has a doorway with a plain surround, a blocked doorway converted into a window with a dated lintel, and a circular pitching hole. [5] [6] The original door, to the right of today's main entrance, was filled in in the 1940s. [10]
In the late 18th century, the building also served as the local courthouse for many years, with one of its rooms used for holding prisoners. [9]
The inn, which has three rooms, was put up for sale, in January 2017, at an asking price in excess of £385,000. [11] In 2019, it was bought by the Brooks family, [12] who had previously owned it around the turn of the century, and was refurbished. [1] It was sold again, in late 2023, to Dipak Patel and Julie Gainford. They put the business on the market two years later and a new owner took over in November 2025.
In 2022, the pub won the Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice Award. [13]
The pub was patronised by the members of Time Team during their three-day visit to the village, in September 1993, which was focused on nearby 2 Church Street. [8]
