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

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21 February 2011

Drink at the Viaduct Tavern

Built in 1869, in the same year that the Holborn Viaduct which gave it its name was completed, the Viaduct Tavern on Newgate Street in the City of London is a fantastic example of a surviving Victorian gin palace.


Inside, paintings of three maidens represent banking, agriculture and the arts, one of which was famously damaged by a first world war soldier.

Another notable feature is that, as the pub is built on the site of a former prison, its cellars contain prison cells. for more information, see http://www.shadyoldlady.com/location.php?loc=656
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3 comments:

  1. The Amateur Casual21 February 2011 at 10:44

    I think its a popular myth about the prison cells beneath the pub. Newgate gaol was not, in fact, on this site, but across the road.

    I had a look in the basement in summer last year when I popped in, and yes, they do look old, and yes, they have bars, but they're certainly not prison cells.

    That said - a great little pub, 'The Original Gin Palace'!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous21 February 2011 at 16:02

    Yeah the linked article (erm in the article above) says it's not on the site of Newgate Gaol.

    "The Viaduct Tavern actually stands not on the site of Newgate but of the Giltspur Street Compter."

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  3. Eurotrip Tips22 February 2011 at 22:18

    I love these posts. I am on a quest to find authentic, historic pubs in London and this one just made my list. Thanks!

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