Editing Pub (section)

===Advent of the modern pub===
[[File:Goldfinger Tavern, Newburgh Place, Highworth (geograph 2306704).jpg|thumb|right|Goldfinger Tavern, [[Highworth]], an example of a mid-20th-century [[flat-roofed pub]]]]
Pubs as we know them today first appeared in the 19th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2019/03/05/How-did-historic-alehouses-taverns-and-inns-evolve-into-the-pubs-we-see-today|title= How did historic alehouses taverns and inns evolve into the pubs we see today?|work= Morning Advertiser|date= 5 March 2019}}</ref> Before this time alehouses were largely indistinguishable from private houses and the poor standard of rural roads meant that, away from the larger towns, the only beer available was often brewed by the publican himself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/9qVj08mAiJ/|title= The Oxford Companion to Beer definition of public houses (pubs)|work= Craft Beer and Brewing}}</ref> With the arrival of the [[Industrial Revolution]], many areas of the United Kingdom were transformed by a surge in industrial activity and rapid population growth. There was huge demand for beer and for venues where the public could engage in social interaction, but there was also intense competition for customers.

Gin houses and palaces became increasingly popular, while the [[Beerhouse Act 1830]] caused a proliferation of beerhouses. By the mid-19th century, pubs were widely purpose-built, and could incorporate architectural features that distinguished them from private houses to make them stand out from the competition. Many existing public houses were also redeveloped at this time, borrowing features from other building types and gradually developing the characteristics that make pubs instantly recognisable today. In particular, and contrary to the intentions of the Beerhouse Act, many drew inspiration from the gin houses and palaces.

Bar counters had been an early adoption, but ornate mirrors, etched glass, polished brass fittings and lavishly tiled surfaces were all features that had first made their appearance in gin houses. Innovations such as the introduction of hand pumps (or [[beer engines]]) allowed more people to be served, faster, while technological advances in the brewing industry and improved transportation links made it possible for breweries to deliver beer far from where it was brewed.<ref>{{cite book |last=Haydon |first=Peter |year=1994 |title=The English Pub, A History |publisher=[[Robert Hale Limited]] |location=London |isbn=9-780709-056942 |pages=197–220}}</ref>