The Admiral Rodney, Wollaton - pub sign

Image: © Stephen McKay Taken: 30 Mar 2023

Greene King, owner of the Admiral Rodney pub, has chosen this depiction of the naval officer to illustrate its sign. Rodney is best remembered for his victory over the French at the Battle of Saintes during the American War of Independence. Although he was a controversial figure - at one point he had to flea Britain when he was unable to pay his debts and ended up in a French jail - he came to be regarded as a national hero in a way that Admiral Nelson later did. There are a number of pubs around the country named after him but, on the face of it, it seems a surprising choice for this inland location. He was, however, a childhood friend of Lord Middleton, owner of Wollaton Hall; he perhaps visited Wollaton as a boy, so there is a somewhat tenuous connection between the village and the admiral.

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