London’s oldest pub has never quite been determined, as there is debate over whether a pub that has been rebuilt several times can be regarded as old as its earliest incarnation. What’s certain is that there are dozens of pubs dating back hundreds of years, many of which could tell us of a few scandals if only their walls could talk. If you want to eschew the tarted-up gastropub in favour of drinking in a historical watering hole, here are a few places to get started.
Camden
Above Camden’s Underworld is the World’s End pub, popular with heavy rock fans who pop in here for a drink before or after catching a gig downstairs. Many moons ago the space was inhabited by a coaching inn called Mother Red Cap, which dated back to at least 1751 according to licensing records. The inn was so called because of the woman who lived on the premises and who the locals suspected of being a witch after having buried several lovers, one of which was supposedly killed in her oven. Charles Dickens reportedly drank here of an evening when he lived nearby. Today the pub retains certain elements of its old coaching house days, with its brick walls, stone floors and a mezzanine.
The West End
The White Hart on Drury Lane maintains it is the oldest pub in London, and if it’s true that it was first licenced in 1216 then its claims are probably correct, however there is little evidence to back this up. Another assertion is that the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin and chums used to pop in for refreshment between muggings. Also in the heart of Theatreland you’ll find the diminutive Nell Gwynne Tavern which is thought to date back to the 17th century. This pub was named after the lover of King Charles II, who went from selling oranges to acting to being the king’s mistress in a short space of time. The Dog and Duck in Soho’s claim to fame is having served both George Orwell and Madonna over the years, presumably in the latter case when she was going through her faux-British maiden phase. Although the current building was erected in 1897, the pub harks back to 1734 and its current owners, Nicholson’s, have ensured it still looks like a 19th century inn from the outside.
\n\nHolborn
The cosy Seven Stars in Holborn has survived the Great Fire of London, the poverty of the Victorian era, the Great Stink, both World Wars…you get the picture. This 400-year-old pub is located right behind the Royal Courts of Justice, and is expectedly popular with local legal professionals who pop in here for lunch or an after work tipple.
The City
First it was a guesthouse in the 13th century, then it was a tavern in the 16th century, and at some point since then it became a pub known as Ye Old Cheshire Cheese. The building, which is located on Fleet Street, is dark and atmospheric, filled with wood panelling and winding staircases, however it was rebuilt in 1667 following its destruction in the Great Fire. Now a Samuel Smith’s pub, you’ll find the brewery’s usual selection of well-priced own brand beer and cider, but no cheese selections on arrival unfortunately, instead you’ll find cheap burgers, fish and chips and pies.
Although it’s been rebuilt several times, The Three Lords pub has existed since at least 1781 if not earlier, as it is named after the lords executed in 1745 at nearby Tower Hill for partaking in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. It’s the sort of quiet, tumbleweedy place where darts are played and not much else happens apart from lunch being served, although live music is sometimes hosted too.
\n\nDocklands
It began life in the 16th century as a simple drinking hole to quench the thirst of local dock workers. As the docks expanded and trade increased, so did the black market along with its associated smugglers, pirates and thieves, and the Prospect of Whitby became known as the Devil’s Tavern because of the shady nature of many of its customers and their line of business. A fire destroyed it in the 18th century but it was rebuilt and given its current name. Up until the 19th century the pub would regularly draw in the crowds after a hanging had taken place at Wapping’s Execution Dock, for public executions were the Victorian equivalent of going to watch the football today. Today punters are happy to just watch the river from the pub’s small balcony.
South
If you’re a fan of the architecture of quaint historical pubs, then The George is one you can’t miss. Another former coaching inn, this pub near London Bridge was built in 1677, and is in fact London’s only remaining building of the sort. It retains its cobbled courtyard and the galleried floor where the rooms once where; in fact so rare are these old fixtures that the venue is now owned by the National Trust. Another haunt of Charles Dickens, Shakespeare is said to have popped in from time to time too. Nowadays it gets very busy of an evening, packed with after-work drinkers who stop off here on their way home to the commuter belt.
