THE SOUTH LONDON BACCHANALIAN SOCIETY

The South London Bacchanalian Society

Beer Appreciation in London and Worldwide for over 30 Years

The George Inn

LONDON SE1 1NH
Borough High St. Southwark Tel. 020 7407 2056

Open
Mon-Sat 11.00 - 23.00
Sun 12.00 - 22.30
Credit Cards: All major

The George is London's only surviving galleried coaching inn. It stands on the south side of the River Thames near London Bridge, for centuries this was the only bridge across the river.

The George was rebuilt in 1676, after a devastating fire swept Southwark.

It was one of many such inns in the area, perhaps the most famous being the Tabard, where Chaucer began his Canterbury Tales in 1388. The Tabard too was rebuilt after the fire, but was demolished in the late 19th century, despite a public outcry

The George also narrowly avoided total destruction. Coaching inns declined as the railways advanced. The Great Northern Railway used the George as a depot and pulled down two of its fronts to build warehousing, leaving just the south face.

It is now in the safe hands of the National Trust. The George is tucked away in a cobbled courtyard just off Borough High Street. The ground floor is divided into several connecting bars. There's a wealth of pretty lattice windows and oak beams.

The Old Bar was the waiting room, for coachmen and passengers. The Middle Bar was the Coffee Room, a haunt of Charles Dickens. The bedchambers (now the restaurant) were in the galleried part. The gallery design provides both access and light, as the back walls would have been crammed against other buildings.

The George Inn is one of London's greatest treasures, how wonderful it would have been if it had survived intact.

[Northumberland Arms] [The Alexandra] [The Old Thameside Inn] [Old Shades] [The Founders Arms] [The George Inn]

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