The pub is a Grade II listed building (Historic England ref 1116984) dating from 1892 and built to the designs of one Robert Cruwys, architect and surveyor. Historic England lavish praise on the 'unusually complete interior.' It's also been said to be one of only two remaining pubs designed by sculptor and watercolourist Henry Poole RA (1873-1928). Poole did contribute to some of the interior work in the Black Friar Queen Victoria Street EC4, but it seems a bit of a stretch to put the Duke down to him as architect. He was in any event still studying at the Royal Academy Schools, from 1892. We will update this as and when we learn more. Be that as it may, it was named the Duke of Cumberland after Ernest Augustus, son of George III, who owned estates in the area. Originally it may, according to Helen Osborne in her history of Young's pubs 'Inn and Around London', have been the Ponds End Tavern in existence since 1657. Remodelled in about 1857, it was completely rebuilt in the 1890s. It kept the name Duke's Head until 1971 when it was extensively refurbished, winning Evening Standard Pub of the Year.