Tired of London, Tired of Life - A website about things to do in London

***

***

For more regular updates, visit Tom's Britain, a new website about things to do in Britain.


***

20 December 2009

Admire the view from The Angel, Rotherhithe

A correspondent recently reminded your author of a lovely pub on the Thames, so when out for a walk in the sunshine yesterday, it seemed like the perfect spot for a light lunch. The Angel in Rotherhithe is one of the oldest public houses in Southwark, and has been recorded on its current site, with the same name, since at least the 15th century, built by the monks of Bermondsey Priory.


Nowadays, it's a Samuel Smith's pub, so whilst it isn't particularly gastronomic the drinks and food are pleasantly cheap, and it is worth a visit if only to sit out on the small balcony. From here you could literally touch the Thames, and it's a great place to watch the boats and admire the unrivalled view back down towards Tower Bridge, City Hall and the centre of London.

One thing that puts both the view and the pub's history in context is that it was here that Turner allegedly painted The Fighting Temeraire, the painting which was voted the greatest painting in a British art gallery and which your author mentioned last Saturday.

For more, see the always excellent Shady Old Lady's article at http://www.shadyoldlady.com/location.php?loc=803

1 comment:

  1. Shamim Ehsanul Haque28 June 2011 at 16:39

    Enjoyed knowing more about this pub from your note. Thank you! I was reading an essay by E.V. Lucas which was written by him during the early 20s (probably a few years after the first World War). The title of the essay is "A Door Plate"; and this essay is featured in a popular book named A Book of English Essays- an anthology of the best essays written in England spanning a period of almost 400 years. I found Lucas praising this pub and describing his delight in watching the boats passing through the Thames late at night as he sits in that small balcony and enjoys his drink. Its nice to know that this pub still exists in its early 20th century form.

    ReplyDelete