The Unicorn The pub
featuring the first sign in Wollaston near Stourbridge was named The
Unicorn by Joseph Lakin in 1859 when he converted the front room of his
dwelling house into a beershop. Appropriately enough, the pub with the
name of a legendary creature sells legendary beer. Moreover, just as the
unicorn's single long horn is thought to have magical properties, so
does this pub. The word Unicorn incidentally was also used for a
Scottish gold coin in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries but the use
of the word for a pub is generally regarded to be a heraldic reference.
The second sign can be found in Lutterworth in Leicestershire whilst the
third sign can be found in Weobley, Herefordshire.
