Historic London Pubcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Kennington. There’s nothing beige about pub history in this part of London. Today we kick back the saloon doors of Kennington, where pubs aren’t just buildings, they’re characters with backstories, secrets, and a scattering of taxidermy. 

We’ll stumble through boozers that once stared straight at Bedlam, meet a pub magician who almost flambéed a flock of pigeons, and uncover how Charlie Chaplin’s dad made pubs his stage and possibly inspired Chaplin’s signature little tramp walk.

Expect Tudor urinals, circus origins, and a pub fight scene fit for Hollywood. It’s London history—unfiltered, slightly unhinged, and best served with a running commentary.

Cheers to the weird, the wobbly, and the wonderfully baronial.  

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Get the essence of Episode 49 in under 8 minutes! 

Chelsea Pub Crawl – Bohemians to Billionaires. Groovy!

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Walk the maritime heart of East London on an unforgettable stroll through one of the London’s most important, yet underrated neighborhoods – Limehouse. 

If you’re hunting for hidden gems in London walking tours, this is your pint-sized guide to one of the city's most storied and underrated neighborhoods. From pirate captains to George Washington’s favorite porter, Limehouse has some surprising links to the British Empire, and the new world. 

Yes, we will take you deep into Limehouse London history, a place of maritime grit, Dickensian lore, and some of the oldest riverside pubs in London. 

From the preserved warehouses turned luxury flats of Narrow Street Limehouse to the winding banks of the Limehouse Basin, we uncover:
• The Grapes pub, co-owned by Sir Ian McKellen—and maybe linked to Charles Dickens. 
• The Star of the East pub—a Victorian relic turned local treasure.
• The pub once known as The Barley Mow, now Gordon Ramsay’s Limehouse Breadstreet Kitchen gastro hotspot. 
• The tale of a porter recipe that crossed the Atlantic to George Washington’s pint glass. 

This isn’t just a London history podcast. Whether you're looking for unique London experiences, London pub crawl ideas, or a history fan of London docklands history and London maritime history, you’ll find something here.  

Expect tales of:
• One-armed pirates and Empire builders.
• London’s lost Chinatown, opium dens, cholera outbreaks, and wartime pub survivors.
• Victorian police blotters, mysterious mummies, and famous beer shipments. 
• How London’s pub scene shaped cities and colonies. Thank you, Christopher Newport.
• How Limehouse Basin helped launch the British Empire’s shipping might. 

This episode is part of your essential London travel podcast and pub history podcast lineup. Don't miss these London travel tips if you're tired of the typical sights and want to explore hidden spots in London, and unique London experiences that often even locals miss. 

Perfect for fans of: Historic London pubs, London walking tours, pub history podcast, London podcasts, and hidden gems London.

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Google map with pubs covered in previous episodes pinned, courtesy of Andy Meddick:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

Or TinyURL:  https://tinyurl.com/4xhc8w2s

The following resources are referenced or quoted frequently in these episodes:

• Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia

Additionally, the  following resource(s) were used / quoted in this episode:

Limehouse Area History:

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/house-they-left-behind/

https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/view-item?i=122172&WINID=1749070788344

https://zythophile.co.uk/2010/10/04/taylor-walker-the-brewery-name-that-just-wont-die/

The Grapes

Tim Hampson, London’s River

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Grab your comfy walking shoes, we’re going on a Cheapside pub crawl like no other. Host Eric Blair takes us through the City of London pubs featured in a 1973 guidebook. Kind of a Back to the Future, pub version, comparing historic London pubs with their modern-day fates.

From the once-glorious Balls Brothers wine bar—to Williamson’s Tavern, with its poltergeist named Martha, this is London pub history with a kick. We also pop into Ye Olde Watling, popular with Sir Christopher Wren, and The Golden Fleece pub, where stockbrokers once “fleeced” their clients before heading home half-cut.

As we sip and stroll through the cobblestone alleys of historic pubs in Cheapside London, we dig into the lost, the legendary, and the downright loony tales that make these spots so much more than places to grab a pint. Whether you’re a pub historian, a ghost hunter, or just planning your next London walking tour, this one’s for you.

We end at the Lord Raglan pub, a place named after a general who famously messed up the Charge of the Light Brigade but still scored a pub in his honor. Because, well, London.

This isn’t just another pub crawl podcast, or your usual history podcast. It’s a jaunt through London ghost stories, haunted London pubs, and the hidden corners of City of London history. Think of it as your unofficial, unfiltered, and slightly unhinged London pub guide with a London travel podcast spin.

So if you're into London pub tours, looking for a good London travel tip, or just want an excuse to drink “for research,” you’re in the right place. This is Pub crawl London done the Historic London way—full of snark, stories, and maybe a ghost or two.

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Google map with pubs covered in previous episodes pinned, courtesy of Andy Meddick:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

Or TinyURL:  https://tinyurl.com/4xhc8w2s

The  following resource(s) were used / quoted in this episode:

Richards & Curl, City of London Pubs - A Practical and Historic Guide  ISBN:0-87749-358-8

https://darkestlondon.com/

https://teaching.shu.ac.uk/ds/sle/Excerpts/Romantics/Lamb.htm

Wikipedia.com

Williamson’s Tavern & Ye Olde Watling:

https://www.heathershimmin.com/williamsons-tavern

https://knowyourlondon.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/williamsons-tavern-bow-lane/

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/city-of-london-pubs-july-2020/#:~:text=Williamson's%20Tavern%20%E2%80%93%20Groveland%20Court,to%20enter%20the%20narrow%20alley.

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23572/

SugarLoaf

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54217/

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs//StPancrasSoperLane/SugarLoaf.shtml

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Lace up your walking shoes, and join us again on your favorite London pub podcast, London history podcast, and London travel podcast all in one!  Host & London Pub Guide Eric Blair leads us on another London historic pubs tour. Eric’s London walking tours are not just historic pub crawls, or your average London pub crawl. 

Eric is really skilled at finding London hidden gems and unique London experience not found in your typical London travel tips article. Eric’s not afraid to take us off the beaten path, finding cool London pubs, quirky London attractions, and the best historical stories.

Today we’re treated to a story-packed London pub tour starting in Southwark London and ending at the legendary Elephant and Castle pub, located, where else, but  in Elephant and Castle! 

We’ll see:

·       The Roebuck pub London – A Grade II-listed gem with Victorian pub architecture, dome-topped charm, and a lush interior.

·       The haunting tale of the Great Dover Street Woman – a Roman woman buried in style with silk pillows and cosmetics, discovered just steps from the pub trail.

·       The Ship pub Southwark  – Over 200 years of history, a near-death by rent hike, and a community-led comeback with help from True Pub Co.

·       The Duke of York pub Southwark – Once a humble pub, then a Firkin brewpub empire, now a lesson in how cheeky slogans can fuel a nationwide beer trend. (Yes, we explain “For Firk’s sake” and the real meaning of a Firkin.)

·       The Albert Arms pub Southwark – Homey, historical, and still standing strong since the 1850s, where one drinker sipped pints where his ancestor once poured them.

·       Lastly, the Elephant and Castle pub – a modern pub with post-war flair sitting in the shadow of a mystery name that’s either a medieval translation failure, or a branding accident that stuck. Either way, it’s a name so baffling, historians have just... given up. 

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Google map with pubs covered in previous episodes pinned, courtesy of Andy Meddick:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

Or TinyURL:  https://tinyurl.com/4xhc8w2s

The following resources are referenced or quoted frequently in these episodes:

• Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/  by Ann Laffeaty 
• Camra’s various websites including WhatPub.com
• Pubwiki: https://pubwiki.co.uk/

Additionally, the  following resource(s) were used / quoted in this episode.

Roebucks Grade II Entry: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1393945?section=official-list-entry

Parched Pubs , True Pubs & Shepard Neame Websites:

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1393945?section=official-list-entry

https://www.truepubco.co.uk/

https://www.shepherdneame.co.uk/

True Pubs Interview: https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/borough/the-ship-in-borough-is-reo

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Eric picked a unique approach to a historic London pub crawl on today’s episode. It’s all about pubs that are convenient to Borough tube station. Is it a Southwark pub crawl? Borough Pub Crawl? Or Borough Market Pub Crawl? It depends on who you ask! We will walk the four points of the compass around Borough tube station in Southwark’s Borough Market neighborhood. Borough pubs and Borough Market pubs aren’t just for sipping pints with your mates, they’ve been historic crime scenes, political stages, and occasionally royal hideouts. 

We will stumble through pub stories of blood-soaked, carbolic washed floors and press gangs at The King’s Arms, emerald-tiled legends at The Lord Clyde, William Gladstone grudges and Southwark brothels at The Gladstone Arms, and King Charles II and one very famous oak tree at The Royal Oak pub. Savor London history far more entertaining than your school textbooks and quite possibly see some of the best pubs in London along the way. Tell your friend you found the best London travel tips right here on The Historic London Pubcast, your London travel guide through the best London walking tours, and British pub culture.

Show Map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=12c-
WKa3XiT1qTLydK8psZocUR7Y_Wes&usp=sharing

References

• Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/  by Ann Laffeaty 
• https://www.pubology.co.uk/index.html (incl Camra WhatPub & PubWiki)

King’s Arms & Lord Clyde

Dictionary of Pub Names, Wordsworth Ref Series, ISBN 1840222662

H. Friedrichs & J. Warland– Local Legends - the Hidden Pub of London ISBN 978-3791389738

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24257/

https://www.londonpubexplorer.com/central-classics/the-lord-clyde

https://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/2484

Gladstone Arms & Royal Oak

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24234/

https://deserter.co.uk/2016/08/is-the-glad-all-over/

https://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/9135

https://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/9084

https://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/8547

https://www.harveys.org.uk/harveys-story

Intro Music

Vivaldi - Spring Allegro by John Harrison w/ the Wichita State University Chamber Orchestra

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Back in Peckham for Round Two of our Historic Peckham Pub Crawl through some of London’s most historic pubs.

We kick things off at The Olde Apple Tree, the last pub standing on Sumner Road and crowned one of Time Out London’s Top Ten Pubs. 

Then it’s off to The Red Bull, home to a rescued Shakespearean tile mural and a legacy as colorful as its walls.

Next, we visit The White Horse — dating back to the 18th century, famous for its chess club and beloved Sunday roast. 

Just a few minutes south is The Angel Oak, once a coaching inn and now a gastropub with a garden that locals rave about.

Onto the Prince of Peckham — a reimagined community pub that blends music, Caribbean food, and a multicultural vibe, proving the future of London pub culture is bold, diverse, and buzzing. Check out their wedding planning services!

We close at The Golden Anchor, a Victorian pub turned Afro-Caribbean cultural hub, complete with dominoes games, legendary jerk chicken, and a makeover by Tom Kerridge on BBC TV’s Saving Britain’s Pubs.

If you're hunting for the best pubs in London, interested in Peckham history, or just want to plan your next London pub crawl, this episode is for you. Can’t get your friend to buy the idea of a pub crawl? Think of this as a historic London walk, a tour of historic London pubs. The tell your friend about this London pub podcast, part London history podcast, part London travel podcast.

Show Map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/4/edit?mid=12c-WKa3XiT1qTLydK8psZocUR7Y_Wes&usp=sharing

References

• Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/  by Ann Laffeaty 
• camra.org
• Cover photo sourced from Tagvenue site https://www.tagvenue.com/venues/london/2388/prince-of-peckham-2

Olde Apple Tree

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/24765102.olde-apple-tree-peckham-ranked-among-londons-best/

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/Camberwell/SumnerRoad59.shtml

https://www.timeout.com/london/bars-and-pubs/the-olde-apple-tree

https://whatpub.com/pubs/SEL/10696/olde-apple-tree-peckham

The Red Bull

https://www.peckhamvision.org/wiki/Historic_Peckham

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/in-search-of-peckham-pubs/

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24155/

Peckham Central

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24145/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/england-pubs-covid-19-60-minutes-2022-02-13/

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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We’re heading back south of the river to Nunhead and Peckham Rye for a historic London pub crawl laced with legends, laughs, and last-minute saves at a lineup of historic London pubs. How’s that for a London history podcast!

We kick off at The Ivy House, once home to Victorian cricket legend W.G. Grace, punk icon Ian Dury, and a nude ballet that was… technically accurate. When greedy developers came calling, the locals pulled off a pub-saving plot twist worthy of Hollywood. Meet London’s first community-owned pub!

Then it’s over to The Pyrotechnics Arms, born from literal explosions thanks to a fireworks factory gone kaboom. This no-frills London boozer has deep ties to The Crystal Palace and a chorus of mandolin-backed rude songs outside its doors. Recently shuttered, but not forgotten. You’re going to want to add this pub to your London pub walking tour.

Completing today’s historic London walk, we wrap at The Old Nun’s Head, a pub so old it gave Nunhead its name. Ghosts of William Blake (angel sightings, anyone?), whispers of Charles Dickens, a sticky-fingered schoolgirl, and over 400 years of pints and pub power.

It’s not just a London pub tour — it’s a crash course in pint-fueled history with side orders of rebellion, poetry, and pyrotechnics. Whether you’re plotting a London pub crawl tour, hunting for pubs in Nunhead, pubs in Peckham Rye, or just need some spicy London travel tips, on this London pub podcast, we’re your London travel guide who’s got your back (and your barstool).

Show Map 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/4/edit?mid=12c-WKa3XiT1qTLydK8psZocUR7Y_Wes&usp=sharing

References

• Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/  by Ann Laffeaty 

Ivy House

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/Camberwell/NewlandsTavern.shtml

https://whatpub.com/pubs/SEL/10680/ivy-house-nunhead

https://www.ivyhousenunhead.com/

“Public House” film review: https://londonist.com/2015/10/an-audio-visual-tapestry-about-london-s-first-co-op-pub

William Blake

https://www.barnflakes.com/blog/2017/05/william-blakes-vision-of-angels-in.html

Pyrotechnist’s Arms

https://www.brocksfireworks.com/our-history

https://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?Pyrotechnists_Arms%2C_SE15_3QF

https://exploring-london.com/2023/09/18/london-pub-signs-the-pyrotechnists-arms/

https://www.stonegatepubpartners.co.uk/

Old Nun’s Head

https://www.designmynight.com/london/pubs/peckham/the-old-nuns-head

https://pubology.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/old-nuns-head/

https://transpont.blogspot.com/2012/05/hi

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Third Time’s a Charm at Soho’s Pubs! On today’s historic London pub walk, we:

• Hear the tale of Mozart’s Brewer Street concert, where the child prodigy played to a half-empty room.
• Discover how Marx and Engels drafted the Communist Manifesto at the iconic Red Lion pub.
• Explore Soho ghost stories, including sightings of Oscar Wilde at The Leicester Arms.

From the wild world of Victorian rat baiting and Jack Black the rat catcher, to postwar jazz clubs that changed the beat of Britain, this episode blends Soho history with UK pub stories, Victorian pubs London, and showcases stunning London pub architecture that survived more than a century of time.

Packed with London travel tips you won’t find in guidebooks, this is your ultimate guide to famous London pubs, London pub history, and hidden gems that will make your next historic London pub crawl unforgettable.

Show Map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/4/edit?mid=12c-WKa3XiT1qTLydK8psZocUR7Y_Wes&usp=sharing

References

• Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/  by Ann Laffeaty 
• Pubwiki.co.uk

Leicester Arms & The Glass Blower

https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/london/wc2_coventgarden_leicester.html

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=570689.0

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/glassblower-london-128981

https://whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/16080/leicester-arms-london

The Crown and The Queens Head

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/soho-pubs-part-1/#:~:text=There%20is%20some%20interesting%20history,18th%20century%2C%20the%20Hickford%20Rooms.

https://london.randomness.org.uk/wiki.cgi?Queen%27s_Head,_W1D_7HN

Pubnames.co.uk & pubsgalore.co.uk

The Lyric and The St James

https://whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/16487/lyric-london

https://pubsandbeer.co.uk/index.php?ID=P&pub=3653&O=P

https://londonist.com/pubs/pubs/pubs/the-lyric

https://www.pubsmiths.co.uk/st-james-tavern-piccadilly

James Potts & Sam Cullen, What’s in a London Pub Name? (ISBN 9781854144713)

Intro Music

Vivaldi - Spring Allegro by John Harrison w/ the Wichita State University Chamber Orchestra

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

Send us a text

In this punchy finale to our Mayfair trilogy, Eric focuses on five historic watering holes just west of Regent Street. From The Clarence where Chopin may have raised a glass, to The Goat Tavern, once a hub for naval officers and site of a meeting that led to grisly true crime, this episode is sure to shock is for those into Victorian architecture, true crime, or just love a little drama with your pint, the eastern edge of London’s poshest postcode is sure to please. 

Join host and London Travel Guide Eric Blair for the final leg of our Mayfair pub crawl on the streets of one of London’s poshest neighborhoods. 

In this episode of your favorite London history podcast, we explore five historic London pubs that have hosted royalty, rockstars, spies, and even serial killers, making them some of the most famous London pubs:

·       The Clarence pub, where Chopin may have toasted a quiet night...

·       The Goat Tavern, once a hub for naval officers—and the scene of a chilling meeting with London's notorious Acid Bath Killer London...

·       The Burlington Arms, a favorite of modern-day spies and shady billionaires…

·       The Mason’s Arms, a pub tied to courtroom chaos and footsteps from Jimi Hendrix London history…

·       Ending at The Iron Duke, steeped in Victorian pubs London charm and military bravado.

Whether you're into true crime London, London pub history, pub history UK, or you're planning your own adventure with London walking tours or London pub tours, this episode is your guide to London hidden gems.

It’s not just a London history podcast or London travel podcast, it’s your companion to the darker, funnier side of the city’s heritage.

Show Map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/4/edit?mid=12c-WKa3XiT1qTLydK8psZocUR7Y_Wes&usp=sharing

References

• Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/  by Ann Laffeaty 

The Clarence

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/clarence-london-128752

The Goat

https://whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/16093/goat-tavern-london

James Potts & Sam Cullen, What’s in a London Pub Name? (ISBN 9781854144713)

 https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/goat-tavern-stafford-street/

The Burlington Arms

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/burlington-arms-london-129217

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/Westminster/BurlingtonArms.shtml

https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/the-moon-under-water/

https://futurefamilyoffice.net/news/gloucester-circus-the-family-office-that-duped-londons-vc-scene/ 

The Mason’s Arms

https://pubwiki.co.u

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com