Discover Four Iconic Pubs in London’s History

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Thames River

We begin on the banks of the River Thames, the lifeblood of London for nearly two millennia. Here we uncover how the river shaped the city — from Roman crossings and medieval marvels to executions, sayings like “one for the road”, and the darker side of Southwark life.

London Bridge

Discover the many lives of London Bridge: once a medieval wonder lined with houses, shops, and pubs; later a stage for grisly executions with traitors’ heads displayed on spikes. We’ll trace its decline, its surprising sale to an American businessman, and how part of it now stands in Arizona.

Borough Market

London’s larder for a thousand years. Once the rowdy domain of traders, porters, and early-opening boozers, Borough Market fell into decline in the late 20th century before reinventing itself as today’s foodie mecca. Still noisy, still chaotic — just swap fish heads for focaccia.

Crossbones Graveyard & Garden of Remembrance

Crossbones Graveyard on Redcross Way is where the unlicensed, the unloved, and the unrecorded of Southwark were buried — especially the Winchester Geese. Once a byword for vice, now a place of remembrance, it stands as a haunting marker of the stories London tried to forget.

Kings Arms

The King’s Arms is one of Borough’s best-kept secrets: a little timber-fronted pub that’s been serving pints since Shakespeare’s day. It’s the kind of place where you can actually feel London’s drinking history seeping out of the walls — and the beer’s not half bad either.

The Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is one of Southwark’s great old-school boozers. Tucked away on Tabard Street, it’s a Georgian-era pub with a real Victorian feel inside — dark wood, tiled floors, and a warm welcome. Long associated with the brewery tradition of the area, it’s now famed for serving Harvey’s ales direct from the cask, keeping the Sussex brewery’s name alive in the heart of London.

Marshalsea Prison South Wall

The Gladstone Arms

The Glad is a proper Southwark survivor — a Victorian pub named after Prime Minister Gladstone, nearly knocked down a few times but always brought back to life. These days it’s all about good beer, good music, and that snug, old-school charm you only get in a neighbourhood boozer.

Lord Clyde Southwark