Samuel Pepys and Old George Hotel, Salisbury brass plaque

This brass commemorative plaque records: Old George Hotel The Great Hall is thought to date from the reign of Edward II but the facade is largely 15th Century with later bay windows. The Inn is first mentioned in 1378 and was bought in 1414 by The City Corporation who owned it until 1863 when the licence lapsed. Samuel Pepys stayed here in 1668 and at that time plays were acted in the yard and the Free School was held here. The ground floor was removed and a new steel frame inserted in 1967 by the Hammerson Group of Companies as part of The Old George Mall Shopping Centre to which the new Arcade now forms the main entrance. The post on which this plaque is fixed was hand carved by a local craftsman to match the other which is original. The Granite Setts which are recessed into the paving, mark the position of the original timber posts.

Samuel Pepys, a prominent diarist and administrator of the navy, stayed at the Old George Hotel in 1668; his detailed diary offers invaluable insights into 17th-century English life.