The Historical London Pub Crawl

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Looking at the timeline, this pub crawl seems to have happened a couple of years after the famous ones in Bristol and Ireland. Not sure why it took so long to have one in London, maybe we had other commitments or perhaps just recovering from Bristol and Ireland. However, I do remember what my cousin said to me when I invited him to London for a pub crawl …"Make sure there's plenty of trivia!". Damn, I didn't think of that! So I Googled "London Pub crawl" and discovered the Charles Dickens one. As I added a few extra ones to this list, I called mine "The Historical London Pub Crawl".

Borough Market

All good pub crawls should start with food to help line the stomach (Hey! I'm a responsible drinker!). Some might say, that "eating is cheating" but to me this only applies half way through a pub crawl, not before starting one and definitely not after one. So what better place to get some food then to take my cousin to Borough Market, the best and probably biggest food market in London. The market has cuisines from all over the world, food for all dietary requirements, it doesn't matter if you're a carnivore, a veggie, vegan, gluten free or lactose intolerant. You can go there for a starter, main course and dessert…you can EVEN have a cheese board…and then wash it all down with any beverage of your choosing!

There is lots of choice in Borough Market, so if you can't decide, most of the stalls offer free samples. I've heard of people just going around filling their bellies on the freebies and not buying anything…so that's an option if you're on a budget.

My stall of choice, is the Exotic meat stall. Every week they offer something different, ostrich, kangaroo, elk, crocodile, etc. My personal favourite is the Kangaroo steak. Don't knock it, until you try it (Unless you're a vegetarian!), one of the leanest steaks you will ever have and filled with so much flavour. The best thing about this stall is that almost directly opposite is an organic cider stall selling Cider from the New Forest.

We chomped down our food and then we went to our first pub….

The George

If you're going to start a historical pub crawl, which mainly features Charles Dickens, then what better place to start than the place that has his Life Insurance framed on the wall. Yes, this old coaching inn that used to run horse drawn carriages to and from Birmingham, has Charles Dickens Life Insurance certificate on the wall. It's a bit hard to spot if you don't know where to look…but you will find it to the right of the bar on the ground floor. It's not especially labelled as his certificate but if you read it you can see his details and his signature.

I don't have a record of what we drank at The George but we took our pints up to the 1^st floor balcony area just to take in the view of the cobbled court yard. This is where my cousin spotted an actress from Emmerdale…I seemed to recall that she smiled at him when she saw his face of recognition…which made him feel warm and fuzzy for a few hours.

The Dickens Inn

Despite being called The Dickens Inn, Charles himself never actually drank here.  However, don't let this put you off, this pub is quality. There is a wide selection of good beers, admittedly a bit pricy but they are always served in their correct glasses with the beer label facing the customer (A sign of a good barperson according to my brother). The pub is in St Katherine Docks, and although the dock is quite large, it is a bit of a hidden gem because it not easy to spot from the main road, which is just on the other side of Tower Bridge.

We had two pints of a Czech lager called Pilsner Urquell, which was served in a proper pint glass, a kind of jug with a handle. We took these outside to admire the yachts and the flats that overlook the docks.

The Cockpit

We got the number 15 bus towards Fleet Street, this is not just any bus, this was one of the old route master buses and the only route in London where it still runs.

There's not much to say about this pub. The name is written in large letters on the wall outside, it got its name when cock fighting was a thing in London, where the rich would bet on this "sport". The pub itself was empty apart from a couple of old boys sitting around the bar with Skysports on the TV. We had our pints and checked the scores, then headed out to our next pub.

Before going on to the next pub, we needed to take a photo, this is a customary thing we do, if nothing else, it helps us remember how many pubs we went to. Now this was in the days when "selfies" weren't a thing…can you imagine?? So I got my cousin to take a picture of me outside the pub….laughing…he told me to take a couple of steps to my left, after the photo was taken I turned around to see that he got me to stand in front of the word Pit. He's a funny guy!

Punch Tavern

Before going into this pub…it was trivia time. Fleet Street is name after London's longest underground river, which starts at the Hampstead Heath ponds and runs all the way to the River Thames. Hampstead Heath has special childhood memories for the both of us, as this is where I grandparents used to take us every Sunday.

Fleet Street used to be the home of the UK's national newspapers and journalists. This pub was named after the political satire magazine that was based nearby. The entrance to the pub was promising, the small hallway leading to the bar was walled with Victorian tiles but once inside, it was horrible…brightly lit with tourists eating fish & chips at the tables. Dead. Lifeless. My cousin and I looked at each other without saying a word, we turned right around and walked straight back out.

The Old Bell

Built as a hostel by Christopher Wren to house the masons who were working on St Paul's Cathedral after the Great Fire of London. This is a great small pub with a big log fire and a wide selection of beers. I think we went for the Sharp's Doom Bar that day, a fine Cornish ale which was smooth and at around 4% alcohol volume, it's perfect if you're having a session. We took our pints outside the back where I pointed out St Bride's church, which is thought to have inspired the traditional layered wedding cake….more recently, it's also where Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall got married.

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese

This is one of the oldest pubs in London having been rebuilt in 1667 after the Great Fire of London. The pub was often frequented by Charles Dickens as well Mark Twain and Samuel Johnson.

There are a couple of pubs in the area that have similar variations of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, so make sure you go to the one on Fleet Street almost opposite The Tipperary.

This is my favourite winter pub because of the large log fire on the ground floor. Oddly this pub was introduced to me years before by an ex-girlfriend...it's odd because she didn't drink so I was surprised she discovered this gem, which is easy to miss from the street. I have been taking friends and family here for years. It's a Sam Smith pub…no, not the Adele sound-a-like (has anyone seen them in the same room?). This is owned by the Samuel Smith Brewery and they only sell their own products. Even the Cola and Crisps are made by Samuel Smith's. Their pubs are loosely modelled on George Orwell's 1945 pub review called The Moon Underwater and none of their pubs disappoint.

We ordered a couple of pints of the Organic Wheat Beer and then I gave my cousin the grand tour, like it was my own house:

There are 4 levels to this pub, which are not easy to navigate if you're tall or wide. Be careful of the low hanging beams and the narrow creaky staircase. As you enter the pub on the ground floor, you will see sawdust on the floor, which leads to the bar on the right. This bar is small with limited seating and lighting but has a big fireplace. Also on this floor there is big dining area with long benches for seats…I imagine that Oliver wouldn't look out of place if he were sat in there, eating his growl whilst trying to build up the courage to ask for more!

Turning left out of the dining area, there are stairs that lead up. The top floor is rarely open but worth a visit if you can get up there. It reminds me of my nan's lounge, with the flowery wallpaper and the comfy sofa and armchairs. It doesn't get that busy either as I guess it's easy to miss the stairs. Behind the stairs going up, there's a flight of creaky stairs going down and this is where you need to be careful with your head. I wouldn't recommend going down these stairs if you've had a few or if you're a bit clumsy. After you have navigated the stairs, on the left you will find the toilets. I have to admit that I was disappointed the toilets are modern and doesn't really fit in with the aged décor….but what did I expect? I bucket in a shed?! On the right-hand side of the stairs you will see a seating area under the cove, there's a smaller more cosy area a few more steps to the right…the perfect place for a secret rendezvous with a love interest…well so I'm told! This area is also perfect if you want to escape your mobile phone because there is very poor phone signal…so you might actually have to make conversation with someone if you're planning to stay in this area. If you follow the wall around you will find a couple of steps and some huge wooden beer barrels and then you enter a large area full of long wooden benches and a bar. There is normally a good atmosphere in this part of the pub and it's better if you go there when there's not a coach load of tourists dining.

The Seven Stars

Before heading to this gem of a pub, I couldn’t walk through Fleet Street without telling my cousin about the Demon Barber, Sweeney Todd. Some say he was a mythical character but the author (Peter Haining) says he existed, so why would I disbelieve a guy that writes stories for a living?? Anyway, so I showed my cousin where the barbers is thought to have been, I described the underground tunnel that went under the church to the Lovett's pie shop on the Bell Yard Lane. I do remember having a hunger for pie as I told my cousin the story.

We then walked around the side of the Royal Courts of Justice, which is an impressive building if you can ever get to see it, even better if you can see it lit up at night.

I took my cousin to The Seven Stars, which is another creaky old London pub but full of so much character. I have since discovered, that pubs called themselves Seven Stars to attract Dutch sailors, as it is reference to Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands. During the week it’s filled with barristers taking timeout from court, which is why the walls are mainly covered in law related framed posters of theatre productions or old movies. The pub at the time had a resident cat called Tom Paine that was wearing one of those Elizabethan neck ruffs, which just helps to add even more character to the place. I have since learned that Tom passed away but I've been told they have a new cat now…not sure if it wears the neck ruffs.

Going to the toilet can be tricky if you're not feeling steady on your feet. The stairs are very steep with not much to hold on to...I have a sense vertigo when I’m going down these stairs and I’m almost praying that I make it down in one piece.

The Lyceum

I call this place The Dracula Pub on count of Bram Stoker, who was the acting manager of the theatre around the corner. and the author of the book. It is said that he lived above the pub whilst he was writing the book.

This is another Sam Smith's pub and what a great pub it is. Like I said before, these pubs never disappoint. Wood paneling on the walls and there are also some cosy wooden booths as you enter. There is an upstairs but this is mainly used for dining.

The Lamb & Flag

This place used to be affectionately known locally as ‘the bucket of blood’ due to the bare knuckle boxing that happened outside on the cobbled street. There’s rope that surrounds the area now, which I think is to symbolise the ring but might be to stop people from blocking the path.

I love this pub, it’s another one with loads character and it has a great selection of beers. My favourite is Fuller’s Frontier but can’t remember if they had that when I was there with my cousin on this visit. The pub is mainly made up with wood panelling on the walls and floor, with oak beams across the ceiling.

This is also a pub that Charles Dickens visited. A little bit down the road there’s a blue plague attached up high on a building, which is where he worked as a boy.

One of the things that’s put me off this pub recently is the constant smell of bleach inside. Maybe I just happen to be there on bleach day? However, in the summer they open the front windows.

Sorry to mention the toilets again but my cousin reminded me of an interesting encounter. The toilets on the ground floor are very narrow. As I exited the cubicle, there was tramp with a long thick overcoat blocking my exit, as I tried to get past him without making contact, I noticed he was drying his willy under the hand dryer...you could say he was giving himself a blow job!

This was the last pub of our historical tour but we didn’t stop drinking. Next we went to the Adventure Bar, an 80s themed cocktail bar with VHS cassette cases for menus....then we went to The Porterhouse, an awesome Irish bar based on the one in Dublin. This has an amazing array of beers on tap and check out the fridge behind the bar for a large selection of bottled beers.

We then went back to Croydon, which is where I resided at the time...we must have had something to eat enroute but I can’t remember where. In Croydon we went to Tiger Tiger (so good they named it twice!!), where we somehow made it through security despite drinking since lunchtime....but fear not...if you don’t get in there's always Hustlers around the corner, a Gentlemen's club that's open until 6am…well so we're told!

So the following day after we had big a fry-up and a hair-of-the-dog, I sent my cousin back to the West Country filled with trivia and good times from  "The Historical London Pub Crawl".