The claim
High on the edge of Bodmin Moor, beside a church of Norman origin, the Old Inn claims 11th-century roots and the title of Cornwall's highest pub. Slate floors, granite bar fronts and real fires make it a snug refuge for walkers. Once it served quarrymen from the local granite workings; now it is a village local with a restaurant.
What the records show
The 11th-century date, tied to monks building the nearby church, comes from the pub and from tourism lists; no documentary or architectural dating was found. The pub's own about page is more careful than the lists that repeat it: it says the middle bar and kitchens were built in the 11th century as lodging for the monks, that the house is believed to have begun trading as a public house in the 15th century, and that written records start in 1806 with the landlord John Jory. It was offered for sale in 2024 but CAMRA lists it as open.
What to look for inside
- Claims to be Cornwall's highest pub, at about 210 m
- Listed as an Asset of Community Value
- Last survivor of four pubs that served local quarry workers
Visiting
The Old Inn is in St Breward, England, at Churchtown, St Breward, Bodmin PL30 4PP. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- camra.org.uk/pubs/old-inn-st-breward-139197
- harbourholidays.co.uk/oldest-pubs-cornwall/
- theoldinnandrestaurant.co.uk/about-us
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/745623
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Oct 2026
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