This stems from the former Palace of the Bishops of Ely, which was nearby and meant that the Bishops were granted jurisdiction over the surrounding area, meaning that it was technically Cambridgeshire, and not London at all. The current pub is from around 1772, around the time that the palace was demolished, but a Mitre has existed on the site for around 200 years longer than that.
For more on the fascinating history of this area and pub, including the inability of the City of London Police Force to follow criminals into the area, read a great article on Time Out here.
I love this pub. I use to go there a lot when I worked nearby. And I managed to get 'fired' from a freelance job whilst drinking in here one afternoon, which was ridiculous. I will tell you about that next time I see you. It was lovely to meet you, Jane.
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