The Old Buttermarket
Old Buttermarket
39 Burgate
CANTERBURY
CT1 2HW
Tel: +44 (0)1227 462170
Situated off the High Street and opposite the Cathedral The Old Buttermarket has a spooky past and a resident ghost!
There has been an Inn on this site for over 500 years. The coaching inn, originally called the Black Boy, existed from the 1600s until 1908, the courtyard of which can still be seen today. The building itself is suspected to be built upon Roman remains, as there are Roman flint pieces in the cellar.
The Old Buttermarket used to be connected to the cathedral via a series of tunnels. Monks reputedly used them for escape. In the square outside the pub there used to be a Butter Market, hence the name.
The Old Buttermarket was, until recently, known as the Franklin & Firkin, and before that the Olive Branch. The Olive branch came into being in 1927. There had been opposition to the Olive Branch gaining a licence, but in 1927, when the licence was finally granted, it was for 6 days of the week only. This was later extended to cover the whole week, despite the protests of churchgoers.
The pub is reputedly haunted. As well as many strange occurrences, a para-psychologist investigated part of the pub and detected a presence in an old alleyway.
Ales and Malts
The Old Buttermarket stocks an excellent range of regular cask ales including; Adams, Bass, Greene king and London Pride, as well as the malt whiskeys Glenfiddich. The Old Buttermarket also has a fine selection of red and white wines that customers can choose from.
Food
The Old Buttermarket serves traditional pub fayre - the menu also contains the mouth-watering Old Buttermarket Steak Pie, which is always a popular choice and don’t miss the delicious Chocolate Puddle pudding either!