A Samuel Smith pub, with three rooms downstairs and an upstairs eating area. An attractive Victorian interior and exterior including etched glass, mirrors and wood panels. A vaguely equine theme links the old prints. Some tables and chairs on the pavement provide alternative 'fresh air' seating.
Patrons should note that the brewery's policy is that its pubs are for social conversation person to person. This includes bans on swearing, mobile phones (except for payments), laptops or tablets; however, in the London area this policy may be relaxed or not enforced by staff.
Historic Interest
Said to date to 1792 when the Sun Fire Office records note a Mr Davidson, victualler, in occupation. It's another of the pubs in the area surrounding the BBC that was frequented by writers and essayists waiting for producers and editors, or to rehearse or broadcast. The pub is also said to have been known as The Whore's Lament, after the despair of certain locals at the departure of American servicemen at the end of World War II. More on the pubs used by BBC staff and others can be found in London Calling: A Countercultural History of London since 1945 by Barry Miles.
Restoration
A pub has stood on the site since the mid C18 and the existing building with its impressive tiled frontage was remodelled around 1895. Downstairs the old layout of three rooms is pleasingly retained, as is the skylight in what would have been the billiards room. All areas have been well restored, by Sam Smith, using high-quality fittings, such as a lot of wood, etched glass, mirrors and good flooring, to deliver a Victorian-style pub. In a nod to its name, old prints on the walls have an equine theme.
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