Historic Riverside London Pub Walk
Drink a Beer by the River Thames with Tales of Pirates and Smugglers
A walking guide to historical Riverside London pubs takes visitors off the beaten path to the city's oldest inns and taverns, haunts of pirates & smugglers in Wapping.
London pubs are one of the city's highlights, and in particular its historic riverside pubs. Some of the most fascinating are in Wapping in east London, a part of the city which is off the beaten path as far as many tourists are concerned. But for the price of a pint of beer, a pint-size walking guide is available which leads visitors by the hand to see pubs which are every bit as historically interesting as Buckingham Palace or St Paul's Cathedral.
"A Historical Riverside London Pub Walk", published by Louis' London Walks, is a 20-page pocket-sized booklet that contains maps, photos, detailed walking directions, and lots of fascinating historical anecdotes. The walk starts at Wapping underground station and ends at the Rotherhithe tube station, so is easy to do from anywhere in London.
This London pub walk takes you to four renowned London drinking places: The Prospect of Whitby, The Captain Kidd, the Town of Ramsgate, and The Mayflower. It suggests, wisely, that you arrange to do the walk when the pubs are open – like on Monday-Saturday from about 11am-11pm, and earlier on a Sunday. Most pubs serve food so you'll want to be sure to allow time to enjoy a meal in one of them too.
The Prospect of Whitby
From Wapping station the booklet gives you specific directions to the first pub, the Prospect of Whitby, one of the most famous and historic pubs in the whole of London. It was built in the 1520s when King Henry VIII was on the throne, and claims to be the oldest riverside pub in London. It still has the original flagstone floor, now almost 500 years old. Have a meal here and you're in good company, as diners ranging from Charles Dickens to Kirk Douglas have enjoyed the River Thames views. Samuel Pepys also enjoyed a few drinks here.
The Captain Kidd
The Captain Kidd has a more gruesome history, as this used to be known as Execution Dock. A gallows was built here, and countless pirates and other criminals were put to death – a great form of entertainment for the crowds who gathered. The booklet gives a good account of the Captain Kidd's history. And don't worry – the last execution was 16th December, 1830.
The Town of Ramsgate
There's also a gallows at the Town of Ramsgate, but this one is a fake, to remind drinkers of what used to take place round here. The pub dates back to the early 1600s, and its attractive garden used to be a place of execution.
The Mayflower
The excellent booklet relates that this pub was only re-named the Mayflower in 1957, to honor its historical importance. It was from this very spot that the Pilgrim Fathers boarded a ship named the Mayflower, which sailed to Southampton and then Plymouth, and then headed for America.
The Mayflower, this walking guide says, is one of very few public houses which is also permitted to sell postage stamps, and because of its historical significance it is allowed to sell US stamps as well as British ones.
This walking guide to historical riverside London pubs is worth buying for that one fascinating fact alone. And there is more to the walk than just pubs, as it also describes the streets, churches, and other buildings you pass on the way. It's well worth the price of a pint.
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Other titles in the Louis' London Walks series are:
- The Kray Twins Walk
- A Walk Around Haunted London
- A Historical Walk through William Shakespeare's London
- The Beatles in London Walk
- The Jack the Ripper Walk
- A Walk Around Charles Dickens' London
- The Sherlock Holmes Walk
- A Walk through Princess Diana's London (currently being reprinted)
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"A Historical Riverside London Pub Walk" is published by Louis' London Walks at £2.50 plus postage, and available from their website.
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