Conquering Hero, Upper Norwood

A friendly locals' pub with some interesting internal features. There are occasional social events such as for Burns Night and Halloween. A young pig called 'Piggy Stardust' now occupies an enclosure in the garden - a replacement for 'Frances Bacon' who was the resident pig for several years up to January 2024. The Conquering Hero is the closest pub to where a dog named Pickles famously found the missing World Cup trophy in 1966.
The pub's name is a reference to Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who was victorious at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Following the victory, Handel wrote an oratorio, 'Judas Maccabaeus' as a compliment to the Duke on his return. It didn't include the chorus 'See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes!', which Handel didn't write until the following year for his next oratorio, 'Joshua'. However, the chorus became so popular he added it to 'Judas Maccabaeus', and it now forms a legitimate part of both oratorios.