The Charles XII, York

The Charles was one of three alehouses in Heslington in the 18th century. Its name is recorded as The Robin Hood 1823, then The Horse in 1828, becoming The Chestnut Horse by 1834, then The Bay Horse by 1840. Around 1843, the pub was renamed once more to The Charles XII. The name has been retained ever since.[1][2]

The Charles was often host to celebrations of local institution. In 1844 the Roseland Lodge of the Ancient Order of Free Gardeners celebrated their first anniversary there,[3] as well as their seventh anniversary in 1852,[4] then a celebratory supper after a ploughing match in 1858,[5] while in 1864 the Heslington Mutual Benefit Society hosted a dinner there with Francis Carr, George John de Yarburgh's land-agent, as the chair.[6]

Inquests were also held in the inn when required.[7][8]

Like the rest of the village, until the 1930s there was no piped water and the pub was lit by gas, not electricity. During the Second World War, several RAF Bomber Command locations were around Heslington, so The Charles was often filled with air force personnel. A race by personnel atop of a stuffed rhinoceros taken from Heslington Hall was often held between the Charles and the Deramore Arms, along what is now Main Street.[9]

Considering the relative closeness between the University of York and the Charles, the pub quickly became popular with students. Students gathered there in 1963 on the eve of the university's establishment to celebrate the occasion.[10] The Charles in turn sought to attract students by offering cheap, mediocre beer. This made it very much a 'student pub'.[2] It also allowed staff to mix informally with students after lectures.[11] However, this has caused several 'town and gown' incidents to occur, with local residents protesting against the presence of students.

In 1979, the landlady made the interesting decision to encourage graffiti. She did this by placing a chalkboard was added to the gents toilets. The board became popular with students and university staff, and, despite assumptions, was not used for crude doodles. The most outrageous comment recorded was the remark "Save the Seals [...] And Cull All The Students".[12]

Joe Simpson, a fast food seller, used the car park of The Charles to sell food to students returning from a night out for six years before Bass Brewery, the owner of the pub at the time, ordered him to stop in 1998 after local residents complained. In response, the University of York Student Union (YUSU) voted to lobby the pub and brewer to allow Joe to return.[13]

A fight between five students outside of the pub in 1997 saw two of those involve requiring hospital treatment.[14]

The Charles was one of several pubs in York to apply for a new licence in 2005 to allow them to remain open until midnight. However, after a considerable number of complaints from local residents, the application was rejected by the parish council. A total of 72 local individuals lodged a complaint against the application, with complaints over noise and disruption by students being the primary concern. Bill McClean, the honorary secretary of the Heslington Village Trust, stated that "These students are trainee drinkers with no ability or wish to control their inebriation. It's all part of the sport."[15]

In 2016, the pub reopened following some £210,000 of investment. This saw the construction of an outside bar area as well as internal renovation.[2]

The pub continues to remain popular with a range of students, who view it as an attractive alternative to university and YUSU facilities and entertainment.[16]

The Charles is currently owned by the Stonegate Pub Company.

As the pub sign implies, the pub is not named after King Charles XII of Sweden, but a horse. Charles XII was originally a brown colt, bred by Major Nicholas Yarburgh of Heslington Hall. He was among the most successful horses of the era, winning sixteen of his twenty three starts.[17] His most famous race was the Doncaster St Leger Stakes flat race in 1839 where, ridden by Bill Scott, Charles XII finished first in a dead heat with Euclid, ridden by Patrick Conolly. In the deciding heat, Charles XII won 'by a head'.[18] It was in recognition of this victory that the Bay Horse was renamed the Charles XII.[19]

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