The Charles Dickens

The area of Bermondsey and Southwark may have changed dramatically since the days when Charles Dickens was using them as inspiration for the setting of Oliver Twist but its penchant for a good pub is undiminished. Dickens’ family were banged up in the local Marshalea Debtors Prison - the very same Borough institution that Little Dorrit would go on to grow up in - so the connection to the area is a personal one. Whether all this has any bearing on the quality of a pub named The Charles Dickens, well, that depends on your propensity towards historical boozers. For us, the connection is a bonus; in these quiet streets you can still gleam a sense of ‘old London’ and pubs like the Charles Dickens are simple enough to soak up a small sliver of the past.

For those who don’t care for history, they’ll find a good pub with a solid menu of pub grub and a good line-up of real ale behind the bar. Dotted with TVs that beam in Sky Sports, The Charles Dickens is a good pub for watching football. Sunday roasts go down particularly well accompanied by Super Sunday offerings and it’s as cosy a place as any to watch football.

Work crowds dominate during the week but this part of Southwark goes silent at weekends, which makes the pubs all the more appealing. Wander narrow alleys south of the river, take in Copperfield Street and Lant Street – the home of Dickens as a boy - and stop in for real ale. Afternoon planned… you’re welcome.