London SPOTLIGHT

This issue Londonphile Russell Higham raises a glass to that most highly regarded of British institutions: the public house

As London’s oft-quoted wordsmith, Samuel Johnson, declared back in the 18th century: “There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced, as by a good tavern or inn.” There are now around 3,500 of them in the capital, so Johnson – who is credited with inventing the English Dictionary — would be a very happy man if he were alive today. Many of these taverns and inns – or pubs, as we more usually call them, but also known in Cockney rhyming slang as ‘rub-a-dubs’ and ‘battle cruisers’ (rhymes with boozers) – date from well before even old Doctor Johnson’s time. I embarked upon a little pub crawl of my own to bring you five of the best and most historic examples…

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Discover Britain (Digital) - 1 Issue, October - November 2023

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