The George, Southwark - a slice of history

I was in London on Tuesday evening, attending a function at the historic George, in Borough High Street, just a short hop from London Bridge station. The meeting I was at, took place in one of the upstairs rooms, in the galleried section of this old coaching inn, and when the evening’s business was over, there was beer and sandwiches for those in attendance.

I will reveal the nature of the meeting later, although it is not particularly relevant to this narrative, but for now, the main reason for writing this article is to draw peoples’ attention to the pub itself, as it is a real survivor from a bygone age.

The George dates from the 17^th Century and is London’s last remaining galleried coaching inn. As such the building is Grade1 listed, but despite this, it is worth remembering that today’s pub is just part of a building which, in its heyday, was much more extensive. The George is tucked away from the busy Borough High Street, and is reached by means of a passageway marked by a wrought iron arch bearing the pub’s name.

Unsurprisingly given its pedigree, the George is owned by the National Trust, although it is leased to Greene King who, it must be said, make a pretty good job of running it on a day to day basis. The company have also opened up and restored parts of the building which were not previously accessible by the public. These include some of the upstairs rooms, which would once have been bedrooms for guests, either arriving or departing  by one of the many horse-drawn coaches which once operated from the inn.

My first visit to the George took place with an old school friend, back in the mid-1970’s, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the place literally took my breath away. It was like stepping back into a bygone age, with its picturesque, galleried upper stories overlooking the courtyard, and its narrow entrance leading to the busy thoroughfare beyond. I thought I knew London reasonably well, but was really surprised that such an ancient old building was still standing, given the ravages of the Great Fire, the Blitz and modern day property developers!

Stepping inside the pub was equally impressive. With its bare wooden floors, low-beamed ceilings and the serving hatch for a bar, the interior was every bit as good as the outside. The section of the pub which my friend and I visited that day is the area on the far right. Today it is known as the Parliament Bar, so named because of the old Parliamentary Clock hanging on the wall, above the fireplace, but the bar was once a waiting room for stage coach passengers

I still remember my surprise on that first visit at finding the beer being dispensed from an unusual, and rather ancient set of beer pumps, which resembled a cash register. They were reputed to be over 200 years old, and back then dispensed two different draught beers; namely Draught Bass (or Bass Pale Ale as it was then called) and London-brewed Whitbread Bitter. I was pleased to note the other evening, that these unusual “cash-resister style” beer pumps, are still there, even though they are no longer in use.

I have, of course, been back to the George on numerous occasions since that first visit, four and a half decades ago, and if anything the pub seems to have increased in popularity over that period. I was therefore somewhat surprised to discover that, the following morning at work, when I mentioned my visit to a few of my colleagues, not many of them had heard of the George, or knew its historical significance.

During medieval times, there were many such inns in this part of London. Probably the most famous of them was the Tabard which Chaucer used in 1388, as the starting point for his Canterbury Tales.  In 1677 a serious fire destroyed most of medieval Southwark including the two inns, so the Tabard and the George were subsequently rebuilt. However, only the George survives today as, despite its historical significance, the Tabard was demolished in the late nineteenth century.

This is because, with the coming of the railways, the old coaching inns fell into disuse, as their original purpose had been superseded by a faster and more efficient means of transport . The George itself was acquired by the Great Northern Railway, who used the premises as a depot, and pulled down two of its frontages to build warehousing. Now just the south face remains, as a splendid survivor from a bygone age.

So, returning for a short while to the other night’s visit, I was at the George for the Annual General Meeting of the British Guild of Beer Writers. This was my fourth such meeting, and incidentally the second Guild AGM I have attended at the George.

I’m not going to write anything about the meeting, because unless you were there (and you would have to be a Guild member for that), you would probably find the whole thing rather boring. What I will say though, is that the Guild’s current chairman, the well-known author and beer-writer Pete Brown, has written a book about the George, called Shakespeare's Local: Six Centuries of History Seen Through One Extraordinary Pub.

Now this isn’t a plug for Pete’s book, as I haven’t read it – not yet, that is! But after my recent visit, combined with all my others over the past 45 years, I fully intend to purchase a copy, and read up on the history and background of this fascinating old coaching inn.

Finally, if you haven’t been, and are a lover of old pubs, then do pay the George a visit. Unless you are a fan of crowds, I would recommend choosing  a quieter time, say just after the 11am morning opening. The beer is Greene King, but also includes a selection of different beers from other breweries; some which are unusual for the capital.

Do bear in mind though that given the location, and the fact the National Trust own the property, that prices are on the high side. Personally I feel that for a slice of history, the prices are worth it, but like everything in life that comes down to personal  choice.