The Poet Laureate: Poundbury # 6; Pub sign # 1

Even diehard opponents of Poundbury admit that the Poet Laureate is quite a nice pub. It has that comfortable feeling that you get in old English villagey pubs and at the same time you wouldn't feel uncomfortable reading a book or a newspaper in it. Or maybe it's just that I feel pretensiously 'at home' among its gallery of pictures of past and present Poet Laureates in the lounge bar.

As far as I'm aware (and Google has confirmed this) it is the only pub named this, in fact there are few poetry-related pub names anywhere (a couple of Poet Bars and a Water Poet in London). Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate of the UK from 1984 to 1998, was a mate of Prince Charles hence the chosen name for the pub.

I'm thinking of starting another series of unusual/interesting pub signs, so this is the start of that as well as part of the Poundbury series.

Poundbury # 5