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An unforgettable journey through Chelsea – from Bohemians to Billionaires!

Discover how this exclusive London neighborhood transformed from a riverside "Village of Palaces" into the ultimate bohemian quarter, then morphed into one of the world's poshest postcodes.

We're pub crawling through four historic Chelsea establishments representative of Chelsea’s eclectic historical journey.

The Pig's Ear with its Cockney rhyming slang heritage.

The Cross Keys. Chelsea's oldest pub and scene of an unsolved 1920s murder and where Agatha Christie once drank.

The Phene. Favorite local of football legend George Best.

The Chelsea Potter on the iconic King's Road where Jimi Hendrix hung out.

Along the way, we'll explore the artistic legacy of Oscar Wilde, J.M.W. Turner, and the Pre-Raphaelites on Cheyne Walk, discover how Mary Quant invented the mini skirt and Vivienne Westwood sold punk to the world, meet the Sloane Rangers who made Chelsea synonymous with posh living, and uncover why this neighborhood became the playground of rock stars, aristocrats, and billionaires.

Whether you're fascinated by London pub history, celebrity haunts, true crime, or the cultural revolution that turned a royal escape route into Swinging London's beating heart, this episode serves up art, influence, and intrigue in one nicely wrapped package – groovy, baby!

Show Map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

References

• Ted Bruning -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/ by Ann Laffeaty

The Pig’s Ear

https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/pigs-ear.html

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d26855684-Reviews-The_Pig_s_Ear-London_England.html

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs//Chelsea/BlackLion.shtml

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/pigs-ear-chelsea-128740

https://www.pigsearpub.com/

The Cross Keys

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs///Chelsea/CrossKeys.shtml

https://www.unsolved-murders.co.uk/murder-content.php?key=931

https://pubnames.co.uk/index.php

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/cross-keys-chelsea-129021

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54757/

The Phene

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/time-called-on-george-bests-local-7266815.html

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/phene-chelsea-128697

http://www.phenecricket.com/news/phenearms.html

Chelsea Potter

https://bispm.co.uk/bio.php?id=509

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Join us on a pub walk London won’t let you forget. In this episode of The Historic London Pubcast, we take a leisurely but legendary London pub crawl from the iconic Battersea Power Station through the historic backstreets of Wandsworth, exploring the city's Victorian pubs, quirky local legends, and centuries of London beer history.

Our pub tour kicks off at the Grade II-listed Battersea Power Station — a marvel of London industrial heritage now home to high-end shops (and a beautifully theatrical Marks & Spencer Simply Food). Along the way, we relive the bizarre tale of the Pink Floyd Battersea pig balloon that made Heathrow air traffic control sweat.

Next, we raise a glass at the Prince Albert pub Battersea, salute the ever-evolving Woodpecker pub (jazz lounge, Creole kitchen, and now live music haven), and visit The Woodman, saved by 4,000 loyal locals. This walking tour London detours to riverside gems like The Waterfront and The Ship, each boasting a different take on pub architecture and atmosphere.

In Wandsworth, the history gets deeper (and boozier). Discover the roots and revival of Ram Brewery Wandsworth, where 500 years of brewing tradition meet craft beer comebacks. Sip in style at the Spread Eagle pub Wandsworth, dripping in stained glass and Victorian glam, and finish at The Cat’s Back pub, a charming relic with one very elusive feline.

This episode is a must-listen for fans of:

• London travel guide inspiration
• Hidden London history
• Quirky London pubs
• Off the beaten path London
• And of course, anyone planning the ultimate London pub tour

Whether you’re into London podcast adventures, love a good history podcast UK style, or just want solid UK travel ideas, we’ve got your pint poured and your path mapped.

Cheers, and mind the pink pigs.

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Show Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

References:

• Ted Bruning -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia

Battersea, Prince Albert, Woodpecker, Woodman

https://batterseapowerstation.co.uk/about/heritage-history/

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs///BatterseaEast/PrinceAlbert.shtm

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/prince-albert-battersea-140365

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/BatterseaNorthWest/HighStreet42.shtml

https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/london/sw11_battersea_originalwoodman.html

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/woodpecker-battersea-140315

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/woodman-battersea-140457

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/BatterseaNorthWest/HighStreet42.shtml

Ship & The Waterfront

London’s Riverside Pubs by Time Hampson ISBN 978-1–5048-0021-1

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Looking for a day trip from Central London? We're going to leafy Barnes, SW London for a leisurely Thames riverside pub crawl. Barnes river pubs and the best Thames River pubs? Yes please!

Hidden spots loved by locals, London travel tips for visiting the best historic London pubs, haunted London pubs and ghost stories, glam rock and royal drama.

The Brown Dog - once known as The Rose of Denmark, a royal backstory of Queen Alexandra fashionable Queen Consort, and a new lease on life to the pub thanks to investors.

The Bulls Head - Jazz history and glam rock in a Grade II Listed building. Manages to be classy and play televised sports simultaneously. Don't miss the Marc Bolan shrine.

The Sun Inn - 300 years of history in a Grade II Listed building, Georgian vibes and possibly some ghosts.

The Red Lion - Duels, legendary sausage rolls, and Jimi Hendrix may or may not have scribbled “Purple Haze” on a bar napkin.

Also plague, smallpox, a failed IRA bombing, the Father of Football, a ghost pond, the importance of Olympic Studios, Barnes to the history of 20th Century music, and Samuel Pepys pops up to cover a Barnes duel.

The Historic London Pubcast. Part history podcast for the London pub history, and part travel podcast for the lovely, fact filled London walking tours. It’s OK if you consider them London historic pub crawls. Either way you’ll be entertained on your London travels.

Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

References:

Wikipedia

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/Barnes/index.shtml

https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/restaurants/brown-dog-barnes-new-investor-b1112280.html

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24432/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d2001362-r148429950-The_Brown_Dog-London_England.html

https://wikimd.com/wiki/Sun_Inn,_Barnes

https://hauntedhostelries.uk/london/richmond-upon-thames/the-sun-inn/

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/sun-inn-barnes-121693

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d2256111-Reviews-The_Sun_Inn-London_England.html

https://www.beer-pages.com/stories/red-lion-barnes.html

https://thelondonpress.uk/2022/04/09/i-went-to-all-24-pubs-in-london-called-the-red-lion-and-only-one-of-them-stood-out-against-the-rest-dan-wiggins/

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/red-lion-barnes-121692

https://londonist.com/london/drink/red-lion

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24431/

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Step into the frothy heart of historic London pubs on a riverside ramble through Mortlake pubs. Pubs along the Thames River are some of the most popular in London and today we’re featuring some of the best London pubs to visit and a few of the best riverside pubs in London.

For this episode’s London pub walk, we kick off at The Jolly Gardeners Mortlake, steeped in the area’s market gardening past and tied to rowing pioneer Amy Gentry, OBE. Next, we raise a pint at The Ship Mortlake, a riverside classic perched on the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race finish line - once a hotspot for rowdy Victorian regatta wagers.

As we stroll the Thames Path, we dive into Mortlake history through the rise and fall of Mortlake Brewery—from medieval monks to the Budweiser years and the fierce local debates over its controversial redevelopment. We even make a detour to the eerie yet fascinating Richard Francis Burton grave - a tent-shaped tomb tucked behind a Gothic church.

Finally, we arrive at The White Hart Barnes - a 17th-century stunner once home to Masonic secrets, famous neighbors like Gustav Holst and Queen’s Brian May, and what just might be London’s best riverside pub.

Whether you're into British pub culture, love a scenic Thames River walk, or you're planning the ultimate London pub tour or Thames pub walk, this episode is your go-to pint-sized guide. Packed with Mortlake history, London travel tips, hidden gems, and plenty of pub banter that you will not find in your London travel guide, it’s history brewed to perfection on this London pub podcast.

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Google map with pubs covered in previous episodes pinned, courtesy of Andy Meddick:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

Or TinyURL: https://tinyurl.com/4xhc8w2s

The following resources are referenced or quoted frequently in these episodes:

• https://camra.org.uk/
• https://pubwiki.co.uk
• Wikipedia

Additionally, the following resource(s) were used / quoted in this episode:

Mortlake history and brewery:

https://mortlake-history.org.uk/ind/gardens.html

https://www.mbcg.org.uk/history/

The pubs:

https://pubnames.co.uk/index.php

https://www.beerintheevening.com

https://www.greeneking.co.uk/pubs/greater-london/ship

https://londonist.com/pubs/pubs/pubs/the-ship-2

https://www.useyourlocal.com/pubs/ship-mortlake-10454/

https://www.whitehartbarnes.co.uk/

Jolly Gardener reviews: https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24529/

White Hart reviews: https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24434/

Books:

Captain Sir Richard Frances Burton: A Biography by Edward Rice, ISBN 978-0306810282

London’s Riverside Pubs by Tim Hampson, ISBN 97815048-00211

Intro Music: Vivaldi - Spr

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Ghosts, grave robbers, and one last pint before the gallows? Welcome to the Historic London Pubcast - your spirited guide through haunted London pubs and the twisted tales hidden behind creaky pub doors.

In this episode, we take you on a haunted pub crawl through London’s Smithfield - once a grisly hub for resurrection men, and now a hotbed of ghost sightings, grisly legends, and ale-soaked anecdotes.

Featured pubs:

• The Rising Sun Pub London. Haunted lodgings & body snatcher lore.
• The Hand and Shears Pub London. Courtroom drama & the real story of the phrase “on the wagon” origin.
• The Old Red Cow Pub London. Tankard thefts, bar brawls & a ghostly landlord who won’t quit.

Perfect for fans of London ghost stories, true crime London tales, and pub crawl London enthusiasts. This episode is part spooky stroll, part London pub podcast, part London history podcast, and all pint-worthy fun loaded with London travel tips.

Whether you're planning a London walking tour, seeking London hidden gems, want ideas for a London pub crawl, or just looking for unique London attractions to impress your mates, this episode has the chills, the thrills, and the beer spills.

Show Map

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

References

• Ted Bruning -- London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://londonspubswherehistoryreallyhappened.wordpress.com/ by Ann Laffeaty
• https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/
• Richards & Curl, City of London Pubs - A Practical and Historic Guide ISBN:0-87749-358-8

Rising Sun

:https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/StBart/ClothFair38.shtml

https://owlcation.com/humanities/resurrectionists-body-snatching-in-19th-century-britain

https://www.spookyisles.com/rising-sun-london-ec1/

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/pubs-of-the-city-of-london-july-2020-part-3

Cloth Fair Street

https://alondoninheritance.com/london-streets/cloth-fair/

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/41-Cloth-Fair-The-oldest-house-in-the-City-of-London/

https://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/properties/cloth-fair-43/

Hand and Shears and The Old Red Cow

https://www.pubology.co.uk/pubs/4099.html

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/hand-and-shears/

https://thehandandshears.com/history/

Cover Photo

M0013444: Illustration of the 'London Burkers'. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/fafbb3ce

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Listen now and discover London’s revolutionary pubs filled with anarchy and assassins.

Ready for a proper London pub walk? In this episode, we explore more of historic London, tracing a trail of rebellion and riots.

What do revolutionaries, royals, radicals, and a legendary pub clock—have in common? The path from Clerkenwell through Farringdon to Smithfield traces a route rich with medieval history, market tradition, and religious heritage. The area has evolved from a separate village outside London's walls into a bustling modern district while retaining key historic landmarks.

In this electrifying episode, Eric Blair walks us through these very streets, taking us from Clerkenwell’s holy springs and medieval mystery plays to the raucous legacy of Smithfield Market. From the fiery riots of Clerkenwell Green to whispered plots against kings, and a maybe a meeting between Lenin and Stalin in a local pub.

Along the way, we stop in at five legendary pubs—each steeped in scandal, secrets, and spirits (the liquid kind and maybe the haunted kind).

We explore:
•Merlin’s Cave Pub, a radical hotspot with firebrand speeches and revolutionary crowds.
•The Crown Tavern London, rumored site of a secret pint shared by Lenin and Stalin.
•The Castle, where George IV may have pawned his pocket watch after a night of questionable decisions.
•The Three Compasses, built by carpenters, rebuilt after the Blitz, and now dishing out top-tier bistro fare.
•The Hope Pub Farringdon, where meat porters, market traders, and pardoned prisoners all had their rounds.

If you’re into London history, historic London pubs, pub history UK, secret London stories, or revolutionary London history, this episode is for you. It’s more than a UK history podcast, better even than just a London podcast, and not simply a podcast about London pubs - it’s a guide to the best pubs in London, a glimpse into radical London history, and a crash course in London riots history, revolution, and pint-fueled politics.

Perfect for fans of London walking tours or anyone looking for London travel tips.

Show Map:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

References:

• Ted Bruning -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia
• https://pubwiki.co.uk/
• https://camra.org.uk/

Clerkenwell & Merlin’s Cave

https://www.londonloveaffair.com/blogs/a-historical-pub-crawl#:~:text=The%20Clerk's%20Well,the%20capital's%20highest%20murder%20rates.

https://clerkenwellgreen.org.uk/history-summary/

https://www.ec1echo.co.uk/the-roving-pub-that-is-no-more/

Three Compassas & Cowcross Street

https://www.mykindoftown.co.uk/blog/2022/08/01/cowcross-street/

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/jan/15/bouchon-racine-london-i-am-a-huge-dribbling-admirer-restaurant-review

ht

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

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Walk the maritime heart of East London on an unforgettable stroll through one of the London’s most important, yet underrated neighborhoods – Limehouse.

If you’re hunting for hidden gems in London walking tours, this is your pint-sized guide to one of the city's most storied and underrated neighborhoods. From pirate captains to George Washington’s favorite porter, Limehouse has some surprising links to the British Empire, and the new world.

Yes, we will take you deep into Limehouse London history, a place of maritime grit, Dickensian lore, and some of the oldest riverside pubs in London.

From the preserved warehouses turned luxury flats of Narrow Street Limehouse to the winding banks of the Limehouse Basin, we uncover:
• The Grapes pub, co-owned by Sir Ian McKellen—and maybe linked to Charles Dickens.
• The Star of the East pub—a Victorian relic turned local treasure.
• The pub once known as The Barley Mow, now Gordon Ramsay’s Limehouse Breadstreet Kitchen gastro hotspot.
• The tale of a porter recipe that crossed the Atlantic to George Washington’s pint glass.

This isn’t just a London history podcast. Whether you're looking for unique London experiences, London pub crawl ideas, or a history fan of London docklands history and London maritime history, you’ll find something here.

Expect tales of:
• One-armed pirates and Empire builders.
• London’s lost Chinatown, opium dens, cholera outbreaks, and wartime pub survivors.
• Victorian police blotters, mysterious mummies, and famous beer shipments.
• How London’s pub scene shaped cities and colonies. Thank you, Christopher Newport.
• How Limehouse Basin helped launch the British Empire’s shipping might.

This episode is part of your essential London travel podcast and pub history podcast lineup. Don't miss these London travel tips if you're tired of the typical sights and want to explore hidden spots in London, and unique London experiences that often even locals miss.

Perfect for fans of: Historic London pubs, London walking tours, pub history podcast, London podcasts, and hidden gems London.

================================

Google map with pubs covered in previous episodes pinned, courtesy of Andy Meddick:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

Or TinyURL: https://tinyurl.com/4xhc8w2s

The following resources are referenced or quoted frequently in these episodes:

• Ted Bruning -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) and London By Pub (ISBN 978-0658005022)
• Wikipedia

Additionally, the following resource(s) were used / quoted in this episode:

Limehouse Area History:

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/house-they-left-behind/

https://www.londonpicturearchive.org.uk/view-item?i=122172&WINID=1749070788344

https://zythophile.co.uk/2010/10/04/taylor-walker-the-brewery-name-that-just-wont-die/

The Grapes

Tim Hampson, London’s River

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

Send us a text

Grab your comfy walking shoes, we’re going on a Cheapside pub crawl like no other. Host Eric Blair takes us through the City of London pubs featured in a 1973 guidebook. Kind of a Back to the Future, pub version, comparing historic London pubs with their modern-day fates.

From the once-glorious Balls Brothers wine bar—to Williamson’s Tavern, with its poltergeist named Martha, this is London pub history with a kick. We also pop into Ye Olde Watling, popular with Sir Christopher Wren, and The Golden Fleece pub, where stockbrokers once “fleeced” their clients before heading home half-cut.

As we sip and stroll through the cobblestone alleys of historic pubs in Cheapside London, we dig into the lost, the legendary, and the downright loony tales that make these spots so much more than places to grab a pint. Whether you’re a pub historian, a ghost hunter, or just planning your next London walking tour, this one’s for you.

We end at the Lord Raglan pub, a place named after a general who famously messed up the Charge of the Light Brigade but still scored a pub in his honor. Because, well, London.

This isn’t just another pub crawl podcast, or your usual history podcast. It’s a jaunt through London ghost stories, haunted London pubs, and the hidden corners of City of London history. Think of it as your unofficial, unfiltered, and slightly unhinged London pub guide with a London travel podcast spin.

So if you're into London pub tours, looking for a good London travel tip, or just want an excuse to drink “for research,” you’re in the right place. This is Pub crawl London done the Historic London way—full of snark, stories, and maybe a ghost or two.

================================

Google map with pubs covered in previous episodes pinned, courtesy of Andy Meddick:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

Or TinyURL: https://tinyurl.com/4xhc8w2s

The following resource(s) were used / quoted in this episode:

Richards & Curl, City of London Pubs - A Practical and Historic Guide ISBN:0-87749-358-8

https://darkestlondon.com/

https://teaching.shu.ac.uk/ds/sle/Excerpts/Romantics/Lamb.htm

Wikipedia.com

Williamson’s Tavern & Ye Olde Watling:

https://www.heathershimmin.com/williamsons-tavern

https://knowyourlondon.wordpress.com/2017/12/15/williamsons-tavern-bow-lane/

https://alondoninheritance.com/londonpubs/city-of-london-pubs-july-2020/#:~:text=Williamson's%20Tavern%20%E2%80%93%20Groveland%20Court,to%20enter%20the%20narrow%20alley.

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/23572/

SugarLoaf

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/54217/

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs//StPancrasSoperLane/SugarLoaf.shtml

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com