HAVE you ever had a pint or a pie and mash while sitting next to a 'dungeon'?
Probably not, but people travel from across the world to visit The King Charles House in New Street, Worcester, to do exactly that.
Especially because King Charles II famously fled from the pub nearly 300 years ago in a dramatic escape during the Battle of Worcester.
The historic pub is full-to-overflowing with culture and charm as soon as you walk through the door.
Tourists often make a pit stop at the pub because the building has been around before the United States of America declared independence from Great Britain in 1776.
Darren Yong became the new landlord in May 2022 and said he wanted to create a magical venue of history and charm.
He said: "It is a 16th-century building and we want to keep that charm but also make it suitable for the modern age.
"We need to make sure we keep in line with the building.
"A lot of tourists from America and China come to England especially to visit this pub.
"It is a massive part of history."
A British monarch put the pub on the global map when he fled from the backdoor of the pub almost 300 hundred years ago.
Mr Yong said: "King Charles II escaped from the back door of the pub on September 3, 1651."
But fast forward a few hundred years - that exit is now used as the main entrance.
"He was about six foot three tall and the myth is that he was in the "dungeon" before he fled from Worcester," Mr Yong added.
Although this has never been proved, the building has also been used as Judges' Quarters and people could have been kept in captivity in the cellar.
The tight space would have been very uncomfortable for anyone over five feet tall and very narrow because there wasn't enough room to sit down.
The pub also isn't short of a few celebrity visitors as Charlie Cooper, best known for starring as Kurtan Muchlowe in BBC's This Country, enjoys visiting the pub.
Worcestershire's favourite rock singer, Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin and Mark Willams, who played Ron Weasley's dad in the Harry Potter films, both love the pub.
But that's not all, the pub appears to have a few spooky friends too.
Mr Yong said three mediums have individually asked him about the two girls living in one of the cellars.
Mediums from West Midlands Paranormal Investigations asked if they could take a look at the pub.
And after spending a night in the building they told Mr Yong what they found.
"They told me there were two girls running around in the cellar, one is called Charlotte and she is from the Georgian era because she is wearing a traditional head cap.
"She is nine years old and she died of a heart condition."
Mr Yong was also made aware of a few more spooky characters lurking about the corridors.
He said: "It doesn't freak me out as such.
"When we first opened I would be here until 3 or 4am just getting the place ready and it was noisy. Doors slamming, people walking, all sorts."
Some of the furniture could date back a few centuries too as most of the timber is 400 years old.
In one of the cellars, there is recycled wood from a ship being used as part of the ceiling, which dates back to 1577.
Mr Yong said: "King Charles I was the first monarch who started recycling, some of the wood in the cellar has been taken from a ship that used to sail at sea."
Despite its history, the venue manages to attract customers of all ages.
With friendly staff behind the bar, this pub is a hit with locals and tourists alike.
Mr Yong sources the drinks and ingredients from in and around Worcestershire to support independent businesses.
But he said: "People in Worcester have a hidden gem like this on their doorstep that local people should take advantage of."
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