Riverside Pubs
There are few London pleasures as great as sitting
in an old pub on the shores of the Thames, watching
the world go by. Particularly when the weather
is good and you have a pint in hand, a lazy summer
afternoon at a hospitable riverside pub is hard to
beat...
Dozens of pubs overlook the Thames, but we have focused
on the easily accessible London pubs that have a special
location or character that make a visit well worthwhile.
These are our favourites:
The Dove, Hammersmith
This small pub has entertained drinkers for over
300 years, allowing several generations of locals
and visitors the opportunity of keeping an eye
on maritime happenings on this stretch of the Thames.
The best spot from which to view the rowers and sailors
is from the river-edge terrace, but space is limited.
The adjacent conservatory also has good views of the
river, and the pub interior - with its low-beamed
ceilings and cosy wall settles - is hardly 'second
best'.
On our visit we missed out on a riverside spot, but
were happy enough by the open fire. The understated
charm of the bar is a positive in this age of 'cashing
in on history', and this is an ideal spot to wile
away a sunny afternoon.
Location: 19 Upper Mall, W6.
Getting There: Ravenscourt Park or Hammersmith,
then 10 min walk.
The Tattershall Castle, Embankment
Location, location, and location are the three
best virtues of the Tattershall Castle. There
are few simpler pleasures than dozing on this floating
pub, watching the Thames lazily drift by, with the
ever-turning London Eye and Big Ben as a backdrop,
and with a cool pint in hand.
If the activity up on deck gets too much, there are
plenty of open spaces and secluded corners below
decks to keep all punters happy. There is a restaurant
and nightclub within the bowels of the ship as well,
but the real pleasure is to be had with the wind in
your hair enjoying the fantastic view.
Location: Victoria Embankment.
Getting There: Embankment Tube. Short walk
along the Embankment towards Westminster, moored almost
opposite the Eye.
Prospect of Whitby, Wapping
Great views of the Thames, a cobbled courtyard, bags
of atmosphere, and nearly five hundred years of serving
pints - say no more.
Location: 57 Wapping Wall, E1.
Getting There: Short walk from Wapping Tube.
Bull's Head, Chiswick
Right on the river, the Bull's Head is a popular
sixteenth-century inn said to have been a hiding spot
of Oliver Cromwell during the Civil War. If this pub
is crowded, the City Barge (founded 1484) is only
a few yards away.
Location: 15 Strand on the Green, W4.
Getting There: A few minutes' stroll from
Gunnersbury Tube.
Anchor Bankside, Southwark
Few pubs have as much of a history as this small
riverside inn, and the Anchor has a scruffy old air
about it too. Perhaps this is understandable, with
the present building dating from 1770, although a
pub has stood here for ten successive centuries. Samuel
Johnson wrote part of his famous dictionary here -
between rounds of course.
Location: 34 Park Street, SE1.
Getting There: London Bridge Tube, follow
the signs for The Globe.
Trafalgar Tavern, Greenwich
Built in 1837 on the site of an earlier pub, the
Trafalgar is a Greenwich institution (see picture
at the top of this page). Featured in Dickens' "Our
Mutual Friend", the pub has attracted its fair
share of important visitors, who no doubt enjoyed
the impressive views of the Thames, which in more
recent times have also included an eyeful of the Dome.
Very busy.
Location: Park Row SE10.
Getting There: Greenwich Tube or Cutty Sark
DLR, follow the river east (heading towards The Dome),
passing the Royal Naval College.
The White Cross, Richmond
Richmond has a number of riverside pubs - although
at least a couple are of the soulless Pitcher and
Slug variety. The old perennial however is the White
Cross, a large landmark on the rivers' edge that has
been known to flood the carpark on occasion. With
a large beer garden and a couple of floors of nooks
and crannies, the White Cross can still get very full,
very fast.
Location: Riverside, Richmond.
Getting There: Richmond Tube or Pier, 5 minute
walk down towards the river.
The Old Ship, Hammersmith
A short stroll from the Dove, the Old Ship has occupied
an enviable riverside perch for centuries. Making
the most of its positioning, there is a spacious second
floor balcony, and plenty of outside seating. The
interior is welcoming too, and on our visit the Thai
Red Curry was a cut above standard pub grub and the
perfect accompaniment to a John Smith's.
One of London's best 'Sunday paper and a pint' spots.
Location: 25 Upper Mall, W6.
Getting There: Ravenscourt or Hammersmith
Tubes, then 10 minute walk.
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