| The White Bull | |
| Mapframe: | yes |
| Building Type: | Public house |
| Material: | Sandstone |
| Owner: | Julie Gainford (since 2023) |
| Landlord: | Julie Gainford |
| Address: | Church Street |
| Location Town: | Ribchester, Lancashire |
| Location Country: | England |
| Coordinates: | 53.812°N -2.5323°W |
| Renovation Date: | 2017 |
| Floor Count: | 2 |
| Rooms: | 3 |
| Website: | http://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 with some unique exterior features.[3] [4]
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, specifically the tepidarium of the Roman baths. They are believed to have been recovered from the bed of the River Ribble.[5]
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. The original door, to the right of today's main entrance, was filled in in the 1940s.[6]
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.[5]
The inn, which has three rooms, was put up for sale, in January 2017, at an asking price in excess of £385,000.[7] It was bought by the Brooks family, who had previously owned it around the turn of the century, and was refurbished.[1] It was sold again, in late 2023, to Julie Gainford.
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]