Ye Olde Fighting Cocks

Ye Olde Fighting Cocks is a Grade II listed pub inside an octagonal building with timber framing near the cathedral and Verulamium Park in St Albans, England. The low ceilings and thick walls of clay and beams give the small rooms a compressed, almost cave-like appearance.

The octagonal building served as a pigeon house for monks at the nearby abbey from the year 793. It received a license to serve drinks in 1756 under the name The Three Pigeons and later changed to its current name.

The name comes from cockfighting matches held here during the 19th century, when such contests were still legal across England. Visitors today sit on low wooden benches in rooms with sloping walls and often stop in after walking through the adjacent park.

The pub sits at 16 Abbey Mill Lane and serves English dishes with seasonal ingredients from the region. Visitors should move carefully through the rooms because of the low ceilings and narrow stairways.

Narrow tunnels run beneath the building and reportedly lead to the cathedral, possibly used by medieval monks as secret passages. The exact length and condition of these underground routes remain unclear to this day.

Location: St Albans

Address: 16 Abbey Mill Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4HE

Website: http://yeoldefightingcocks.co.uk

GPS coordinates: 51.74890,-0.34710

Latest update: December 17, 2025 10:53