Great Northern Railway Tavern, London

A masterpiece of turn of the century pub architecture still possessing many  original features to delight the visitor.

When originally built in 1897 this pub must have been a stunner. It was commissioned by the Cannon Brewery, replacing the original 1865 house. The architects were Shoebridge & Rising, who were responsible for many a London pub. Here they produced a strikingly flamboyant essay in the neo-Jacobean manner in red brick and stone. A prominent shaped gable with the pub’s name in raised brick lettering is flanked by an arcaded balustrade, and the ground floor of granite has strapwork pilasters. On the left, the principle entrance sports a splendid array of wrought iron work incorporating the pub’s name. This was fabricated at the Jones and Willis Art Metal Works, formerly adjacent to the pub.

The interior was unfortunately remodelled in 1962 by noted pub architect Roderick Gradidge: the front parts are now a single space, but some sense of subdivision has been achieved by the reuse of the original fine glazed screenwork. The Public Bar was originally on the right-hand side - note the plain, matchboard panelled counter here (it has been shortened). Next to this was an off-sales counter: a disused door in the centre of the pub announces “Jug Bar”.

The left-hand side would once have been the saloon bar, and the counter here is a much more robust, stately affair. The L-shaped servery has a wonderful bar-back lined with a series of lovely decorated mirrors. There’s a skylight over the rear left-hand area with modern stained glass. Beyond, the former music room is accessed through a wide opening with folding doors. Semi circular glazing above the entrance is flanked by  sumptuous Art Nouveau moulded plaster friezes.    This room has an impressive skylight with vivid stained glass and a rich plaster frieze below. It is spanned by two hefty tie-beams and has matching  friezes on the main walls. There’s an ornamental fireplace set in an array of mirrors and columns, no doubt heavily restored by Gradidge, and a remarkably shallow, elegant archway at the rear frames a doorway to the garden and three stained glass windows.