Back in the day, when pubs weren't structured and laid out as they are now, the best room and public bar were usually tricked out in bench seating. In fact, bench seating was the norm really and poseur tables and armchairs and a lot of modern trappings like tables more suited to a restaurant were much rarer beasts. It allowed a lot of people to sit around the walls of pubs and created room for circulation and standing drinkers. Pubs were then, in many cases I suppose, a little more spartan,...
