What exactly makes a pub ‘rough’ is subjective, of course, but punters seem to agree that a general state of disrepair and local ‘characters’ doing a steady trade in stolen goods are reliable indicators.
Some people suggested that the epithet could apply to any pub with a flat roof. There are certainly a few of those among our list, though it’s fair to say that’s not always true.
We’re not necessarily talking about the ‘toughest’ pubs, where violence is rife, either, although that was the case with some of these lost watering holes from the 70s, 80s, 90s and noughties.
One of the pubs on our list was nicknamed ‘the glass carpet’, as there was ‘more glass on the floor than behind the bar’, while another was branded a ‘den of iniquity’.
A major TV star is among those who have shared their experiences of these pubs, telling how he was once left fearing for his life after someone pulled out a gun while he was performing.
As many of you pointed out, a ‘rough’ pub is not necessarily a bad one, and lots of people recall enjoying some of their happiest nights at these boozers, even if they did have a bit of a reputation.
Sadly for them, these pubs have closed and in some instances been demolished and replaced with housing, or converted into shops. But the memories live on.
What’s the roughest pub you’ve ever visited? Let us know in the comments section.
1. The Gunner
The Gunner, in Muirhouse, Edinburgh, had a bit of a dodgy reputation, according to many people. One person recalled how they went in once and 'took a look at the clientele, had a half pint and beat it as most had live scars on themselves'. Another person wrote: "I was in the Merchant Navy and have been in rough pubs all over the world, but the roughest pub I have ever been in my life was in my home town - The Gunner in Pennywell Road in the early 1980s." Many people defended the pub, saying it wasn't as bad as others claimed, but a tradesman who worked there in the 90s said: "We were never out of that pub fixing windows and mirrors after some ruckus. I’m sure that pub kept that company in business - it was a full-time job on its own." | National World Photo: Ian Georgeson
2. The Flemish Weaver
The Flemish Weaver was built in the 1970s to serve Salford's Pendleton Estate. It had a fearsome reputation, according to many who remember the pub. One person told how you 'couldn't leave in one piece without buying at least one item from a range of Adidas sports bags', before adding 'I lived in the tower block, so (this) was my local and kept me in Cypriot Bensons for years'. Another person recalled: "(I) was working in the flats over the road, nipped in for a pint at dinner. There was a ‘gangland’ funeral wake on. Bad.” The Flemish Weaver shut down in 2014. | Google Photo: Google
3. Comet Bar
The Comet Bar in Ruchill, Glasgow, was nicknamed 'The Vomit'. One person recalled how they had once been playing pool upstairs there when a group came in, one of whom started throwing a knife at the toilet door and asking if they would be long. "We weren't long," they added. Another person described how they got a taxi to the pub and when the driver got near he told them 'I'll slow down and you two jump out'. The Comet was demolished in 2009. | Google Photo: Google
4. Fforde Grene
The Fforde Grene in Harehills, Leeds, is still fondly remembered by many as being a great music pub during its heyday. But it gained an unsavoury reputation in its later years, and it closed after drugs and weapons were found there during a police raid in 2004. It became a continental supermarket following its closure. | YPN Photo: YPN