River Thames Pubs

inns and Pubs on the River Thames

On both banks of the river you will see several old inns that have been standing there for hundreds of years. The Mayflower at Rochester, The Angel at Southwark, Captain Kidds at Wapping, The Grapes at Limehouse, The Prospect of Whitby at Wapping and the Town of Ramsgate at Wapping Stairs all hold within their walls the secrets and tragedies of the River.

The pub currently known as the Mayflower has had this name only since the 1960s. However, the pub has stood here, very close to St. Mary's church, since around the middle of the 16th century and has gone by the name of The Shippe and then later the Spread Eagle and Crown. It is cosy and warm, with exposed beams and open fireplaces in winter. This pub is unique too as being one of the few public houses that is licensed to sell postage stamps, including American ones. There is a good restaurant upstairs and a riverside veranda that looks across to the Captain Kidd pub on the opposite bank.
The Angel is one of the oldest public houses in Southwark. There were many warehouses built behind the pub, which were used for tobacco. They have since been pulled down and the foundations of Edward III's palace have now been revealed. The Angel dates back to the 15th Century when the Bermondsey Monks built the first inn here as a resting point for travellers journeying to London from the south. The Monks used to bury their dead where they lived and although the original inn is long gone, the remains of several Monks still lay within the foundations of the present building as a reminder of its origin. The current pub is fairly rundown but it is still worth a visit on a good day as there are tables outside and the views of the river and tower bridge are excellent.