If you reckon it looks unprepossessing from outside, you should have a peak through the front door.
It certainly is not the historic type of pub I was hoping would be my first after lockdown.
And yet it turns out that while the pub is modern, it commemorates someone from the 17th century who was a prominent man in his time but is very little known today.
Neale was a Master of the Mint - he was succeeded on his death in 1699 by Isaac Newton - and, according to Wikipedia, was at least partly responsible for developing major parts of London including Seven Dials, Shadwell and East Smithfield.
He apparently also invented special anti-cheating dice for use in gambling and was MP for Petersfield, which gives me a tenuous connection as that Hampshire town is where I went to grammar school.
I certainly did not get to drink my first post-lockdown pint in a historic pub, but the pub I ended up in meant I did come across some interesting history.
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