First and foremost although regarded as a pub in Ruislip it actually has a UB postcode and therefore is technically in Harefield, nevertheless it is included here as it is but a cock-stride from Ruislip and a two mile hike from Harefield village.

The pub is situated in a very complicated place, but easy to locate, read on! It is on the corner of Breakspear Road on the cusp between Breakspear Road North and Breakspear Road South, so it is no surprise that this pub is called "The Breakspear something or other", yet over the years it has had an identity crisis.

The original Breakspear Arms was a "conventional" pub standing at the same spot, only nearer to the road

This was knocked down some years ago (around 1974) and this modern building built to replace it.

Initially this new pub did well, but a change in management and it began to decline. Since its opening heydays it has had trodden a somewhat interesting path.

At one point the interior was made to look a bit like a night club, indeed it even had a dance floor, but the success of that was short lived, mainly because it was refused a late licence. It was at this time that it suffered it's biggest identity crisis. But unlike other pubs locally that have changed their name only to change them back again. this pub kept its name but changed its names' roots!

The whole "Breakspear" thing in this area (well mainly Harefield) surrounds Nicholas Breakspear who, in 1154 found himself elected as Pope (the only Englishman ever to be so elected). As Pope he took the name Adrian IV. His short pontificate (he died on September 1st 1159, aged 59) is the reason for the roads named after him locally as he was thought to have been born in Harefield. (If you are reading this and live in Abbots Langley then I really know he was born there, at Bedmond Farm to be precise, as that is what you told me!!!).

So the Breakspear Arms was was named after England's only Pope, but not while it was a "nightclub", at this time the sign that hung outside showed a spear broken in half, yet it retained its name when really it should have been the Break Spear Arms.

Having been changed back from a night club in to a pub again it has passed through a few breweries and once formed part of the Hungry Horse chain. Most recently (June 2004) it has changed in to a tenancy under "private" ownership, under the stewardship of Darren and June.