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All the United Kingdom England St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head

A fossilized pie discovered during renovations of a traditional English pub is now on display.

St Helens, England

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Yvonne Curran
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This may be the oldest pie in the world.   Yvonne BC / Atlas Obscura User
The Turks Head was built in the traditional 19th-century Tudor style.   Yvonne BC / Atlas Obscura User
The Turks Head interior has a rustic charm.   Yvonne BC / Atlas Obscura User
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The Turks Head is a traditional Victorian pub in St Helens, Merseyside. Built in the 1870s in the Tudor style, it's popular with the locals and has a reputation for award-winning craft beers.

If the home-cooked food, open fires, and steady supply of beer aren't enough to attract you, the pub also proudly claims to have the oldest pie in St Helens. Its age is unverified; it was found when the pub was renovated in 2017. Presumably, someone dropped it behind a bench, where it lay undisturbed for decades.

Its remarkably well-preserved condition led the owners to display it proudly once the refurbishment was complete. It now rests in an acrylic box on a wooden plinth with the story of its discovery engraved:

"This pie was discovered during renovations of The Turks Head public house (Feb 2017). It is thought to be the greatest discovery since Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon unearthed Tutankhamun in 1922. We still don't know what mystical powers have been set free in The Turks Head."

St Helens isn't often compared to the Valley of the Kings, so the above claims may be slightly exaggerated. There have yet to be any reports of a curse.

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Food History Pie Pubs

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The pub is open daily from noon to 1 a.m.

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Yvonne BC

Published

April 23, 2025

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St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Cooper St
St Helens, England, WA10 2DQ
United Kingdom
53.458388, -2.742975
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England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Nearby Places

The Dream

Merseyside, England

miles away

Rectory Nurseries

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miles away

Edward’s Elephant

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

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