Surprisingly, the public house per se has only been in existence since the Beer House Act of 1830. This was brought in to combat the menace of the gin-palaces in urban areas, by allowing the provision of cheap "nutritious" low-alcohol beverages, brewed on the premises; it meant anyone with a house could get a licence cheaply and turn it into a public house.

Of course, there have always been places selling beer, but the "pub" as we know it is a relatively modern phenomenon.

Steve