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Heritage Pub

Bull & Gate, Kentish Town

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Operator: Young's
389 Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2TJ (View on Google Map)

Oct 2023 - The Northern Lane station is closed until Easter next year - Thameslink overland still ok Tufnell Park is probably the best alternative. Or walk from Kentish Town West or Gospel Oak.

Acquired by Young's in 2014 and closed for some serious architectural changes which have seen the loss of the live music venue but the creation of an upstairs Boulogne Bar which has a grand piano and did have complimentary live jazz every week on Friday and Saturday evenings but that seems to have been put on hold by Covid. This is a nod to the pub's original name, the ‘Boulogne Gate’ coaching Inn - so-called to commemorate Henry VIII’s victory in France in 1544.

A fine Victorian pub, it still has some original fittings including some of the glass in the bar-back, and carved wooden detail in the arches over the doors. The lost music hall hosted many hundreds of live bands over the years, including Coldplay & Blur. It is now a dining room. A CAMRA Heritage Pub.

Historic Interest

Grade II listing:- Pub. Dated 1871 with minor later alterations. Architect unknown. Red brick with rendered dressings. EXTERIOR: Advanced ground floor houses the public rooms and main entrances with a curved return to the north where second door, large windows with decorative transoms have been replaced, and a pair of wide arches over the 2 main openings, that to the left with some later infill (formerly a shop here). All of this is richly detailed, including heads and leaves in the ionic capitals over the marble pilasters, the name of the pub spelled out prominently in the frieze and an eponymous bull and gate relief above the main entrance. Behind this are 2 further storeys of the building, of red brick with rendered detailing to rusticated pilasters and frieze, of 5 window bays with a central elongated Palladian style window under a half-moon shape plaque announcing 'Bull & Gate 1871'. The first floor windows have semi-circular shells over each one, and the brick is curved at both corners. Plaque to north side with date,architect and builder names is heavily painted. Side and rear elevations much plainer and more altered, including inserted C20 windows to rear. INTERIOR: Much of the original pub interior survives, such as the bar counter with pilasters and cornelled brackets, and the back bar with decorative glass, and cast-iron fluted columns with ornate composite capitals. The original plan form is also mainly readable, with the front public rooms divided by partition with Neo-Classical dressed arch, and a former billiard room to the rear. Also of interest is a strapwork embossed paper ceiling, wide arches with fluted pilasters, and Neo-Classical detailing around the arch (that to the rear alternating small medallions of bulls' heads with the vases), pedimented doorcases and hardwood vestibule, fruity grape detailing throughout, large skylight to rear and fireplace in front bar. To rear wall of main bar, a pair of wide arches, that to north with later bar extension now projecting from it, that to south with further pedimented double door into rear now used as a music venue, which has fewer features of interest. HISTORY: The Bull and Gate was rebuilt in 1871 on the site of an C18 pub, when it was apparently known as the 'Boulogne Gate' at this important 'pick-up-and-set-down' point for travellers in and out of London via the north. A 1904 photograph shows a show in the end bay, and a slightly different window and door arrangement, as well as a openwork parapet along the front range. SOURCES: The Fields Beneath, Gillian Tindall; Kentish Town Past, John Richardson; Buildings of England London 4: North.

A fine Victorian pub in the Gin Palace tradition with exuberant internal and external detailing (including a bull and gate illustrating the historic name) and a well surviving quality pub interior, that furthermore has group value, particularly with the Assembly Rooms pub at the same historic junction.

Information for this venue is provided by the North London Branch of CAMRA
Previous Names
Local Authority
Camden
Last updated
14/10/2023
Last surveyed
05/01/2022
Pub ID
NLD/6106
Asset of Community Value

One star - A pub interior of special national historic interest

Listed status: II

This pub boasts a wealth of Victorian features including the bar counter, spectacularly glazed bar-backs, and decorative arches.

Built in 1871, it's a showy bit of architecture, with shell shaped heads to the first-floor windows, the ornate fascia with the pub name and, of course, the plaster depiction over the entrance of a bull and gate. It retains a Victorian curved panelled counter with decorative pilasters and brackets, but the metal top was added in 2015. The Victorian bar back fitting has a stunning array of decorated cut-glass mirrors with swirling sprays of foliage. There are ornate vestibule entrances from both the left and right doors with ornate plasterwork picked out in various colours at the top. The Lincrusta ceiling is an ornate piece of work too, and note also the fluted cast-iron columns which support the upper floors.

There is a round arch between the two parts of the front bar with fluted jambs and, in the head, Neo-Classical urns and lion heads. There is another decorative shallow arch between front left and rear-left areas – the rear section was originally the billiard room and has a modest octagonal skylight; sadly the glazing has been replaced with plain panels and the colourful frieze was painted over in 2015. Another arch at the rear leads to the ladies and disabled toilets; all three arches are now painted indigo.

General information about historic pub interiors

The Bull & Gate was built in 1871 (see the helpful date-stone outside). It is a showy bit of architecture. Note external details such as the projecting single-storey part at the front, the shell shaped heads to the first-floor windows, the ornate fascia with the pub name and, of course, the plaster depiction over the entrance of a bull and gate.

It retains a Victorian curved panelled counter with pilasters and cornelled brackets but it has a modern metal top added by Youngs in 2015. The far left section of the bar counter front is missing an ornate pilaster so there have been changes here in recent times. The Victorian bar back fitting has a stunning array of decorated cut-glass mirrors with swirling sprays of foliage. There are ornate vestibule entrances from both the left and right doors with ornate plasterwork picked out in various colours at the top. The Lincrusta ceiling is an ornate piece of work too, recently painted white. Note also the fluted cast-iron columns which support the upper floors.

There is a round arch between the two parts of the front bar – it has fluted jambs and, in the head, Neo-Classical urns and lion heads. There is another decorative carved shallow arch between front left and rear left areas – the rear section was originally the billiard room and has a modest octagonal skylight: the glazing, sadly, has been replaced with plain panels but the foliage swags around the drum are original, equally sadly the colourful frieze was painted over in one pastel colour in 2015. Another carved arch at the rear leads to the ladies and disabled toilets There are two reproduction Victorian–style fireplaces. A doorway has been cut to far left room area. At the rear the former music venue has been converted into a dining room and has no old features. Boulonge bar upstairs has no old fittings.

General information about historic pub interiors
Seen some incorrect or missing details? let us know.
Monday
Noon - 11:00pm
Tuesday
Noon - 11:00pm
Wednesday
Noon - 11:00pm
Thursday
Noon - 11:00pm
Friday
Noon - 11:00pm
Saturday
Noon - 11:00pm
Sunday
Noon - 10:30pm
Monday
Noon - 10:00pm
Tuesday
Noon - 10:00pm
Wednesday
Noon - 10:00pm
Thursday
Noon - 10:00pm
Friday
Noon - 10:00pm
Saturday
Noon - 10:00pm
Sunday
Noon - 9:00pm
Spotted an error with the opening times? Let us know

Current beers

This Pub serves no changing beers and 3 regular beers.

Regular and recently seen

Bull & Gate, Kentish Town

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Facilities
Sports TV Sports TV
Lunchtime Meals Lunchtime Meals
Evening Meals Evening Meals
Garden Garden
Pavement seating in summer
Family Friendly Family Friendly
Kids table every Sunday for children aged 3 - 10
Dog Friendly Dog Friendly
Events Events
Quiz every ther Weds
Function Room Function Room
Boulogne Bar
Restaurant Restaurant
Features
Real Ale Real Ale
Real Heritage Pub Real Heritage Pub
Transport
Close to bus routes (100m)
Nearby Station (300m)
Kentish Town
Close to London Underground/Overground/DLR (300m)
Kentish Town
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