Sponsored Links:

The Hope & Anchor in Mornington Crescent - previously the scene of many a drink after my River Fleet walking tours

The Black Cap - Camden Town

---

​STOKE NEWINGTON N16 - ARUNDEL ARMS ​

The Arundel Arms on the Boleyn Road closed in 2003 and demolished in 2013 and replaced with a 4-storey block of flats with an electrical retailer on the ground floor.
The sign had a portrait of Thomas Howard 21st Earl of Arundel (1585-1646). Pics by Diane Ridley 2003.

Arundel Arms in Stoke Newington

---

The Magdala - Hampstead NW3

The Magdala closed in September 2014. After some uncertainty the pub had a refurb which took ages and finally reopened in Summer 2015 only to close again suddenly in February 2016 due to the landlords unable to agree terms of the lease.

On Easter Sunday 1955, Ruth Ellis shot her lover David Blakely dead outside the Magdala. Ellis fired five shots at Blakely. Some bullets struck him  a couple were lodged in the wall. Bullet holes are still visible in the pub's tiled frontage according to folklore, though other people reckon the marks were made by drills afterwards as a joke.
​
The famous story featured in the films Pierrepoint, with Mary Stockley in 2006, and Dance With A Stranger with Miranda Richardson in the role in 1985. 

---

PONDERS END - THE HORSE AND DRAY  (Originally 'The Hand and Hind')  

Different city I know,  but this place reminds me a bit of "The Jockey" on Shameless!! The planners have proposed 7 residential houses to be built on the site of this former public house: 

"The application proposes a high-quality housing development of two and half storeys. The mass of the proposed building is designed to be sympathetic with its immediate surroundings whilst proposing to provide a positive contribution to the character of the local area." No offence but the immediate vicinity is unlikely to be affected whether it's a "sympathetic" building or not .....

---

---

​EDMONTON N18 - PYMMES PARK INN 

Pymmes Park Inn

​Jan writes: "Bruce Forsyth used to use it, the last time was when he came back to Edmonton for his sister's funeral, all the family and friends went back there for drinks and buffet."

Ciaran writes: "Of all the pubs to have closed down in North London this has to be one of the saddest for me. I used to love this pub. It was situated just off Edmonton High Street, near Pymmes Park and was a great family pub. I used to go there when I was a kid with my dad, who used to take me over the park to play football on a Sunday and afterwards go for a pint. I remember he bought me a tomato juice there once, and I remember it tasting foul. I used to take my first girlfriend there too and it was quite a respectable pub in its day. There were loads of regulars there too, and it was here that I first tasted Stella - big mistake."

Louise writes: "Now boarded up around the outside you can no longer cut across the front of it, like it shows in your pic. Good pub, Great karaoke evenings, but bad rep for drug dealers hanging round, always being raided, I heard that it was a drug raid was why it closed down."

Roger in Houston, Texas writes: "Oh ****, not the Pymmes Park Inn. Not far along the road to the north is Latymer Grammar School. We used to get out of there and head to the PPI. Turn blazer inside out, remove ties and, for the girls, roll them up (we are talking the sixties here). Many a wonderful New Year's Eve was spent here. It was but a short walk under way the railway bridge to the bus stop and a late trip home. Just great days. Brings tears to me eyes it does."

---

TOTTENHAM N17 - PRINCE OF WALES 

CB writes: "if ever there was a pub with character that was it. Always good for a late one, I was in a band that actually played there a few times. It was an Irish pub and a fight was guaranteed there almost every night. When I first started going out with my missus we used to end up in there - read into that what you will! I remember a mate of mine was in the Army Cadets and walked in there one night in an Army uniform. The band stopped playing and he had to make a hasty retreat as the Irish locals were going to lynch him! The bloke who owned it was the brother of my mechanic and he was a tough Irishman who didn't take any shit from anyone."

Prince of Wales in Tottenham

---

TOTTENHAM N17 - ROSE AND CROWN 

 The pub's  manager Kevin Molloy was stabbed to death when walking down Tottenham High Road at 5am. This was part of a random killing spree by Daniel Gonzalez who has been branded “the most dangerous and unpredictable patient” ever to be held at Broadmoor maximum security hospital in Berkshire, where he is to serve the first part of his “whole life” sentence. Gonzalez has already attacked while on remand awaiting his Old Bailey trial. He has also tried to slit his veins in suicide bids and been escorted to an outside hospital by six armed police officers in riot gear. He showed no emotion as he was handed six life terms by Judge Ann Goddard, QC, after being found guilty of four murder counts and two of attempted murder.

Bernie writes: "The Rose and Crown in Tottenham was our local from about 1981 to 1990 it had changed managers a few times, but it was a good place to be, the club at the back was called Valentinos - to match with the club outside the Spurs ground which was Rudolphs - I worked there for a while - it was still the Robert E Lee - then after a while it was renamed the Rose and Crown - there is a lot of history in that particular part of Tottenham - I knew Kevin Molloy, who was murdered in Tottenham High Road - he was the last manager of the Rose and Crown and the place is still boarded-up and there is at least several hundred years of history lost there."
Jan writes: "we used to go to the club at the back, being teenagers in the 60s we thought it was great, so grown up, yea right. We had some good times there. There is a lot of history to that pub, and I think a lot of old customers and managers came back to visit. Being in a paranormal group, We'd love to do an investigation there."

Dave Eason writes: "I remember this pub as the Robert E Lee with a club around the back called Charlie Browns this was in the 1970s and it was a two-level club, so you could go upstairs and look down on the dancers or the birds tits! Trouble is many people used to kick their beer glasses over the edges and start grief as the bloke who copped it on the nut got angry. Great pulling place and a great mix of other nationals, and we all got on great. I remember two go go girls performing on the flashing tables next to the DJ who happened to be Dale Winton who went onto TV and stuff. Bouncers were great. I was a visitor most Fridays and Saturdays. Happy days."

Rose & Crown in Tottenham

---

UPPER HOLLOWAY N19 - THE HANLEY ARMS 

John writes: "the licensee during the 60s and I think 70s was one of the Compton brothers of cricketing fame not sure whether it was Denis or Lesley we used to have a couple of pints in there and then go a bit further up the road and have pie and mash"

Ian writes: "This used to be a lovely pub with a wonderful ornate late Victorian fire surround and sparkling engraved glass all around the walls. I've no idea where it all went and the only current sign of the pubs past glory is the decorative wrought iron surrounding the entrance and above the fascia, what a shame .I remember going in there a few years ago and was shocked to see that the glass had all disappeared and had been replaced with flock wall paper. It's not my local but I used to go to the art school at the top of the hill and have the occasional pint there on the way home. Very enjoyable environment to drink in then. He told me that he'd got the pub redecorated in exchange for the glass, or at least I think that's what he said. He seemed quite satisfied with the deal. God knows where it's all gone, beautiful stuff. I live in Holloway and have lived there for years, and I'm quite amused at the new names given to areas like these: Crouch End Village, Crouch End Heights. I remember reading an article a few months ago from someone who lives in Gravesend, he said some places wear their names around their necks like a stone: Wormwood Scrubs, Pentonville, Holloway. I wonder how they'll muck around with Holloway when they get round to it, Holloway Bay, Lower Holloway Sands, Great North Avenue and so on maybe. The Globe Hotel opposite the Sobell has gone too, another great pub in its day. What I liked best about it was the heated foot rail at the bar. Wonderful on wet and cold evenings."

The Hanley Arms in Upper Holloway

---

ENFIELD - THE KINGS HEAD 

The King's Head is a Grade 2 listed building - It is part of the Enfield Town conservation area and a pub called the King's Head has been a feature of Enfield's market square in some form or other for around 300 years. This popular pub closed in 2007 and all hope of it reopening was diminishing, but then it recently reopened - so a good news story for a change and worth visiting for a pint if you happen to be in Enfield Town.

---

CAMDEN TOWN NW1 - THE PRINCE ALFRED 

This pub, off the beaten track of the Camden we all know and love, had a bad reputation and one of the few pubs in NW1 that I never visited whilst it was open.....The pub had been labelled a "Danger Pub" in a report in the Camden New Journal in 2005. There was a violent attack on the pub landlord and patrons of the public house had also made a racist attack on a member of the public. The licence renewal was objected from some people because "people from ethnic minority backgrounds have been intimidated when passing the premises & the premises are a magnet for people who like to indulge in loutish behaviour & there have been illegal lock-ins resulting in violence, as well as pub patrons, observed urinating against walls in the street."

---

ISLINGTON  - THE CROWN 

Whilst this is Islington we are not talking about the popular drinking dens down the Angel. This is by the Barnsbury Estate towards Kings Cross. This picture was actually taken when the pub was still open in its final weeks. I worked in the pub next door (The Red Eye) and occasionally ventured into the Crown which was more like walking into someone's living room. Some people I knew found it quite intimidating. I had no problems in there though I wasn't around when a fight kicked off in there and someone returned with a samurai sword.

There are some plans on the Council's website to demolish the site and build some modern looking apartments....

The Crown

---

DE BEAUVOIR TOWN N1 - THE TRAFALGAR

More commonly known locally as "The Traff".Ravey Davey writes:  "If I'm right the last owner bought it with insurance money he got when his wife was murdered by the Yorkshire Ripper. It was his dream and he loved it dearly. Sometime in the early 90s though he ended up owing serious £££ to some gangsters who forced him to close. A friend of mine ended up squatting it in the late 90s. When the owner found out he enlisted the squatters to help him reopen it as a late night bar. Totally illegal of course, but the police didn't care - it was Hackney after all"

The Trafalgar

---

KINGS CROSS N1 - SHAWS 

It was originally a car repair shop, but the owner decided to make more money by converting it into a bar as there were two very tall office buildings next door. The nearby office space was taken up by NatWest before they were taken over by Royal Bank of Scotland, and loads of the staff used to go in a drink there. Some of the best nights in there were probably football nights, especially during the European Championships help in England. The bar manager had to get two extra tv's in so that everybody in there could see a screen. Memorable nights, but when RBS moved all the staff out, that was the end for Shaws.

Shayne from Sidney used to live in a flat above this pub: "The pub itself was surreal - well maintained but usually very empty except for a few local die-hards. The publican used to go to the effort though, a few weekend nights he would play some cheesy pop music and have those lousy traffic light style disco lights flashing - but to no avail it seems. The times I was in there though it was pleasant enough - the staff were always happy to have someone to serve and it's a bit of a shame to see it close down really - perhaps in hindsight I should have gone there more often."

Shaws

---

STONEBRIDGE NW10 - THE ORANGE TREE 

Siobhán writes: "I grew up in the area, my primary school was opposite it. In the mid-late 1970's it was a real Irish family pub with Irish bands and performers on constantly it seemed, there was always plenty of us children dancing around the place after too many e-numbered red lemonade's. Out of curiosity I returned there in the mid-1990s. Surprise surprise t' was not the place of my memories. In the public bar there were two TV screens, one showing sport and other showing porn, this I learnt was to pacify the punters, much fighting had gone on there. The building was demolished recently to make way for the ongoing regeneration of Stonebridge."

---

TOTTENHAM N17 - THE RAILWAY TAVERN 

CB writes: "This is a real shame this pub closed down. It was a fairly big pub with a few pool tables, situated right next to White Hart Lane train station. Packed out on match days but again not very busy during the week . I used to live just round the corner from it in Durban Road and remember getting so drunk in there one night I could hardly stand up, and had severe difficulty in getting out of the pub"

---

EDMONTON N9 - TUDOR INN (PREVIOUSLY THE HORSE & GROOM) 

C B writes: "It had a reputation for underage drinkers during the 1980s and the joke was that they used to take their homework there in the evenings. There was a disco there most Saturday nights but was also frequented by posers and dolly birds which being a skinhead used to rule me out of going there!"

---

EDMONTON N9 - THE STEPS 

Was used by squatters when closed, was also known as Kelly's Steps before it was named The Steps. CB writes: "The Steps in Lower Edmonton was a bit of a loud pub which had a band at the week ends. I remember one night in there a bloke offered the band £100 if they would play"American Pie" by Don McLean. He went to get the money out off his pocket and promptly threw up over himself. Hilarious, like something out of Little Britain! It was a bit of a locals pub and had its regular crowd of herberts."

---

TOTTENHAM N17 -RED LION 

CB writes: "I used to go to school with a bloke whose parents ran this pub. It was a fairly quiet pub which did most of its business during Tottenham Hotspur match days. There was a nice picture of the Queen Mother presenting the Irish Guards with shamrocks behind the bar, I think the Irish bar man was in the Irish Guards at some point." 

---

TOTTENHAM N17 - PLEASURE ROOMS 

CB writes: "I remember a recent World Cup was watched in there by me and a mate. What a night that was! Strippers the lot and they weren't shy either! Let's just say I won't forget that night in a long while! Now closed down as it was owned by some shady characters. My mate used to DJ there, and I think some kid died after taking an E there one night."

---

TOTTENHAM N17 - THE PLOUGH 

CB writes: "I used to get in of a Friday afternoon after work. A bit intimidating if you weren't a local but used to get packed. There used to be a lot of trouble in there on match days and a mate of mine was arrested after taking on a few Newcastle fans - nothing to do with football I think it was over a game of pool or something. He ended up good mates with them all after they were all locked up in the same cell!"

Bruce Morgan writes to Derelict London: "My ancestor, George Morgan, took part in a robbery at "The Plough" in Tottenham in December 1796. Owing to his inept method of disposing of the loot he was arrested at the "White Hart" and sentenced to Transportation to Australia. After completing his sentence in Sydney, George married, had 16 children and became a respected member of his community. His story and that of his descendants has been published as "A Colonial Brickmaker's family" by Paul Goard (1981). To this day none of the family have been able to find any trace of him prior to his arrest."

Jan Davis writes to Derelict London:"My great great-great-grandfather was the George Morgan that robbed the Plough Inn"

Whilst this building pictured is certainly not over 200 years old, its possible that it's built on the site of the original Plough. The Plough now a Bedfred betting shop, although the hanging sign remained on the betting shop until recently.

---

EDMONTON N18 - THE TWO BREWERS 

One of Edmonton's oldest pubs. Once acclaimed for its charity bed races, it more recently became a magnet for anti-social behaviour. Now demolished and flats are being built on the site.

---

TOTTENHAM N17 - THE COCKEREL 

This pub was located between the junction of White Hart Lane & Tottenham High Road, and the football ground. Contained a large vocal contingent of Spurs fans. Ciaran writes: "Used be called 'The Bank', although it must have been a bank at one time, way before my time. My brother and I used to go in there every Tottenham home match day. A few  years ago it was smashed up by West Ham hooligans before a Carling Cup game.  2 weeks later, on the day of the Spurs-Chelsea game, the police raided the pub, threw us all out, and it has never reopened." The building is now a bookies.

---

NEW SOUTHGATE N11 - THE LAWRENCE 

Formerly known as 'New Sir John Lawrence', 'Gaelic Grounds' & 'Sir John Lawrence'.  John Lawrence was an Irishman who became a prominent British pro-consul and imperial statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1864 to 1869. He was also known to reside in Southgate hence the name of this pub.

A man living in the flats behind the pub was found guilty of involvement in the attempted July 21 attacks on London's public transport system. He attempted to detonate a device on a London bus. During his arrest, he stood near-naked on the balcony to avoid police tear gas. The flat had been used as a terrorist safe house and a bomb factory. 2012 update - pub building recently demolished.

---

HAMPSTEAD HEATH - JACK STRAWS CASTLE 

Jack Straw, one of Wat Tyler's lieutenants, is believed to have taken refuge here. He built an encampment from which he intended to march on London, but his plans came to nothing when he was captured and hanged by the king's men.

A pub has stood on this site for many years and in the 19th century Wilkie Collins, William Makepeace Thackerary and Charles Dickens are all known to have drunk at Jack Straw's Castle. However, the present building dates only from 1962 as during World War II the pub was extensively damaged after being bombed.It's a pub no more and has recently been converted into a health club and flats.

---

NEW SOUTHGATE N11 - FENAMINOS 

 Also once known as The Railway Hotel & then The Castle. James Selby, the coachman, was brought up at the Railway Hotel, in the 1860s. He achieved the longest distance ever driven by one coachman, as well as the fastest time a team of horses could be changed for another (47 seconds).

---

PONDERS END - RAILWAY HOTEL and THE BEEF & BARREL

Both of these very old pubs have been reduced to rubble and just left presumably as the cash to build flats has dried up in the credit crunch.

---

PALMERS GREEN - THE COCK INN 

The original Cock Inn is thought to have been built on this site in 1549 & the current building built in 1885. It was originally made from timber and set back from the road with a place to leave your horse-drawn carriage at the front. Three sisters ran the Cock for 50 years until 1882 when they retired. In August Bank Holiday 1887, Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Year, 25 000 people came to the Cock to celebrate.  There was dancing to the music of a barrel organ from noon until dusk and a whole bullock was roasted on a spit.

In recent years this large pub dominated by sport on large TV screens had numerous name changes - Manhattan, Legends, The Faltering Fullback,  The Sports Zone and finally Polski Bar Sportowy. Then at the end of 2009 the place  became a Mediterranean food store, although this  is recently undergoing refurbishment

---

CAMDEN NW1 - BLACK HORSE 

Now converted into flats and called the Black Horse Apartments

---

EDMONTON GREEN N9 - THE EXHIBITION 

The pub sign remains inside Edmonton Green market. The pub itself is now a shop.

---