London’s Top 10 Lists: Historic London Pubs: with Stories to Tell

London’s Top 10 Lists: Historic London Pubs: with Stories to Tell

A journey through London’s historic pubs is a journey through the city’s soul. The wooden snugs and mirrored bars of these ancient inns have witnessed everything from literary inspiration and political plotting to ghostly sightings and bloody bare-knuckle brawls. Here are ten of the capital’s best boozers, each pouring a generous measure of history with every pint.

1. The Crown Tavern: Where Revolutionaries Raised a Glass

Just off Clerkenwell Green, this pub’s walls are thick with the echoes of radical thought. It famously counts Charles Dickens, George Orwell, and even a young Vladimir Lenin among its former patrons, making it a true crossroads of literary and political history .

• Nearest Tube: Farringdon
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: Clerkenwell Green (Bus 55, 243)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: Weekday afternoon for a quiet pint by the fireplace
• Suggested Time at Each: 45-60 minutes
• Google Map Location: [43 Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0EG]

2. The Morpeth Arms: Sip with Spirits of the Prison Past

Built to serve the notoriously harsh Millbank Prison, this riverside pub sits above the very tunnels where convicts took their last steps on English soil before being transported to Australia. Patrons can watch a live CCTV feed of the haunted cellar, where a prisoner’s ghost is said to linger .

• Nearest Tube: Pimlico
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: Millbank Tower (Bus 87, 88)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: Evening to ponder the ghosts while overlooking the lit-up MI6 building
• Suggested Time at Each: 60 minutes
• Google Map Location: [58 Millbank, London SW1P 4RW]

3. The Cittie of Yorke: A Literary Giant’s Haunt

With roots stretching back to 1430, this Holborn institution is a setting for Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield and Barnaby Rudge. Its most striking feature is the vast hall with towering 1,000-gallon oak barrels and a row of private wooden snugs, once used by lawyers for confidential client chats .

• Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: High Holborn (Bus 8, 17, 25, 45, 46, 242)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: Early evening to soak in the cathedral-like atmosphere
• Suggested Time at Each: 45-60 minutes
• Google Map Location: [1-2 High Holborn, London WC1V 6AA]

4. The Lamb and Flag: A Brutal Past in a Literary Quarter

Tucked away down a Covent Garden alley, this pub has a deceptively violent history. Known as the “Bucket of Blood” in the 18th century, its upstairs room hosted bare-knuckle prize fights. It was also a regular haunt of Charles Dickens and survived an infamous attack on the poet John Dryden nearby .

• Nearest Tube: Covent Garden
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: Southampton Street / Covent Garden (Bus 9, 11, 15, 23, 26)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: Late afternoon to avoid the Covent Garden tourist crowds
• Suggested Time at Each: 45 minutes
• Google Map Location: [33 Rose St, London WC2E 9EB]

5. The Anchor: A Survivor of the Great Fire

Perched on Bankside near the Globe Theatre, this pub has been a drinking spot since the 1600s. It famously survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 and later became a meeting place for the diarist Samuel Pepys, who watched the blaze from its vantage point across the river .

• Nearest Tube: London Bridge
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: Bankside / Tate Modern (Bus 344, 381)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: A sunny late afternoon for the river terrace
• Suggested Time at Each: 60 minutes
• Google Map Location: [34 Park St, London SE1 9EF]

London’s Top 10 Lists: Historic London Pubs: with Stories to Tell

6. The George Inn: London’s Last Galleried Coaching Inn

Tucked away near Borough Market, The George is the capital’s only surviving galleried coaching inn, with parts dating from the 17th century. Charles Dickens mentioned it in Little Dorrit, and its famous wooden balconies once overlooked a courtyard bustling with stagecoaches .

• Nearest Tube: London Bridge
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: London Bridge Station (Bus 17, 21, 35, 43, 47, 133, 141, 149, 343, 381, 521)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: A summer weekday for a pint in the historic courtyard
• Suggested Time at Each: 60 minutes
• Google Map Location: [75-77 Borough High St, London SE1 1NH]

7. The Old Justice: An Inter-War Architectural Gem

This charming 1933 pub is a perfectly preserved example of the “improved pub” movement. Built to a Neo-Tudor design, it was intended to offer a genteel, family-friendly atmosphere with quality oak fittings. A plaque on the wall even marks its cameo in a Paul McCartney music video .

• Nearest Tube: Canada Water
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: The Angel / Surrey Quays Road (Bus 1, 47, 188, 199, 225, 381, C10)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: A quiet afternoon to appreciate the historic interior details
• Suggested Time at Each: 45 minutes
• Google Map Location: [58 Bermondsey Wall East, London SE16 4TQ]

8. Ye Olde Mitre: A Hidden Treasure for Royalty

Hidden down a narrow alley in Holborn, this pub was built in 1546 for the servants of the Bishop of Ely. A cherry tree, around which the pub was constructed, once marked the spot where Queen Elizabeth I is said to have danced. It’s a true “hidden gem” that is easy to walk past .

• Nearest Tube: Chancery Lane
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: Holborn Circus (Bus 8, 17, 25, 45, 46, 242)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: A quiet weekday lunchtime to enjoy its tucked-away charm
• Suggested Time at Each: 45 minutes
• Google Map Location: [1 Ely Ct, London EC1N 6SJ]

9. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese: A Rebuilt Legend

Rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1667, this warren-like pub on Fleet Street has been a literary favourite for centuries. It was a regular haunt for Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Its low-ceilinged rooms and creaky floors offer a true taste of old London .

• Nearest Tube: St Paul’s
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: City Thameslink / Ludgate Circus (Bus 4, 8, 15, 17, 25, 26, 45, 46, 76, 172, 341)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: Late morning before the lunch rush to explore its many rooms
• Suggested Time at Each: 60 minutes
• Google Map Location: [145 Fleet St, London EC4A 2BP]

10. The Mayflower: A Step Back to America’s Beginnings

This Rotherhithe pub stands on the site from which the Pilgrim Fathers’ ship, the Mayflower, set sail for America in 1620. The pub has a unique claim to fame: it’s the only place in the UK where you can legally post letters with an American postage stamp .

• Nearest Tube: Rotherhithe (Overground)
• Nearest Bus Stop & Numbers: Brunel Road / Rotherhithe Street (Bus 381)
• Entry Fee: Free
• Best Time to Visit: A sunny late afternoon for views of the Thames
• Suggested Time at Each: 60 minutes
• Google Map Location: [117 Rotherhithe St, London SE16 4NF]

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