Barnes River Pubs – Duels, Ghosts, Marc Bolan, Jimi Hendrix

Looking for a day trip from Central London? We're going to leafy Barnes, SW London for a leisurely Thames riverside pub crawl. Hidden spots loved by locals. Travel tips for visiting London’s best historic drinking holes. Ghost stories, glam rock & royal drama. 

The Brown Dog - once known as The Rose of Denmark, a royal backstory, fashionable Queen Consort & new lease on life thanks to investors. 

The Bulls Head - Jazz & glam rock. Manages to be classy & play televised sports simultaneously. Don't miss the Marc Bolan shrine. 

The Sun Inn -  300 years of history, Georgian vibes & possibly some ghosts .  

The Red Lion - Duels, legendary sausage rolls & Jimi Hendrix may or may not have scribbled “Purple Haze” on a bar napkin. Also plague, smallpox, a failed IRA bombing, the Father of Football & a ghost pond.

Map: 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1xXDGJSfJIUy2gw_6uCASi-C45FpOg_M&usp=sharing

References: 

Wikipedia

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/Barnes/index.shtml

https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/restaurants/brown-dog-barnes-new-investor-b1112280.html

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24432/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d2001362-r148429950-The_Brown_Dog-London_England.html

https://wikimd.com/wiki/Sun_Inn,_Barnes

https://hauntedhostelries.uk/london/richmond-upon-thames/the-sun-inn/

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/sun-inn-barnes-121693

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d2256111-Reviews-The_Sun_Inn-London_England.html

https://www.beer-pages.com/stories/red-lion-barnes.html

https://thelondonpress.uk/2022/04/09/i-went-to-all-24-pubs-in-london-called-the-red-lion-and-only-one-of-them-stood-out-against-the-rest-dan-wiggins/

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/red-lion-barnes-121692

https://londonist.com/london/drink/red-lion

https://www.pubsgalore.co.uk/pubs/24431/

https://www.stmarybarnes.org/wp-content/uploads/Over-1000-Years-of-Barnes-History.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Studios

https://www.allabouthistory.co.uk/History/England/Place/Barn-Elms.html

Music:  Vivaldi – Spring Allegro by John Harrison w/ the Wichita State University Chamb

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com/

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

Transcript

Today on Episode 47, we’re sauntering through Barnes - that riverside village where glam rock legends, ghost dogs, and dueling aristocrats all somehow collide in area pubs.

Podcast Producer, Andy Meddick, here. What does Eric have in store for us today? From pubs saved by shoemakers and Formula 1 drivers to jazz venues that once echoed with the riffs of rock royalty, to shrines for rockstars and the occasional duel over a scandalous affair, and sausage rolls. And why not?

Eric, lead the way!

Welcome to this episode of the Historic London Podcast. I'm Eric Blair, and I'd like to take you on a journey through the rich history of London's iconic pubs. My goal is to share with you my passion for the great old pubs of London. I want to give you some facts to help you appreciate the history of these hallowed establishments mixed in with some fun stories that make it all go down as smooth as a well poured pint.

Our previous episode was in Mortlake and we ended up at The White Hart, just over the eastern line in Barnes, the next village over. Today I will stay in Barnes and visit for more of its finest pubs. And just like Mortlake, Barnes has plenty of history to keep us entertained as we walk between the pubs. First stop will be a pub in the neighborhood, about a seven-minute walk straight south of the river.

This pub is located at 28 Cross Street. Today's pub is operating as The Brown Dog and has done so since 2023. Located in, as one publication, The Standard, terms,

“A desirable stretch of cottage lined barn streets known as Little Chelsea.”

It originally opened in 1898 under the name The Rose of Denmark. So just how did the folks back then choose that name? The Rose of Denmark refers to a very popular Royal that started life in, you guessed it, Denmark. She was Alexandria, the eldest daughter of the man who, in an unusual set of circumstances, became King Christian IX of Denmark. Despite her royal blood and because her father was not initially considered an heir to the throne, Alexandria's early life in Denmark was modest by royal standards, with her family living frugally in Copenhagen in accommodations described as charmingly middle class.

That all changed in 1863 when she married Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria's heir, and the future, King Edward VII. Their marriage, arranged in spirit of diplomatic alliance, turned Alexandria into a beloved figure in Britain. She was young, elegant and with strikingly beautiful features that made her a fashion icon and the subject of popular adoration. Londoners, especially, were captivated by her poise and charitable presence.

Her Danish background lent her a kind of exotic northern European mystique that only deepened her popularity on the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. Albert Edward became king as Edward VII, with Alexandra as Queen Consort. She became Queen Mother on Edward VII’s death in 1910, at which point their son George V acceded to the throne.

Alexandra died at age 80 in 1925. There's also a masonic lodge in Barnes named The Rose of Denmark. It was founded around the time of Alexandra's marriage to Albert Edward, 1863, and the pub was named for her in 1898, a couple of years before her coronation. Both peak times in her public popularity with numerous ships and other pubs, also taking her public moniker. Oddly enough, The Masonic Lodge met in other pubs, including The White Hart, over on the river, but never at the pub with the same name as their lodge. Go figure. But even without the Masons trade, the pub rocked along for another 125 years under its original name until closing at some point and reemerging as the Brown Dog again. Back to the article from The Standard.

It appears that the pub redo was somewhat of a rescue.

“A local boozer in Barnes has received a new lease on life after a group of investors reinvigorated the historic property. Leading the charge is George Glasgow Jr, the CEO of George Cleverley Shoes in Royal Arcade on Old Bond Street. The Barnes Residents told The Standard he wanted to create a truly independent local pub. “Although my business is based in Mayfair, Glasgow said, “I have a remarkable number of clients who tell me they are looking for a lovely local pub.” Glasgow got together with some other well-heeled folks who wanted to invest in the pub, including famed Formula One driver David Coulthard. Glasgow terms the group as, “Barnes Residents who came together because we all wanted to make a local pub that was truly independently owned.””

It seems that their hearts are in the right place. Another quote from the article,

“Glasgow said that the new team is committed to maintaining The Brown Dog as a proper local community. Focused events will include Barnes Mum Collective, a monthly morning meeting designed to support area mums with the range of family challenges, from childhood nutrition to emotional wellbeing, and in keeping with the pub's name.”

The Brown Dogis pooch friendly too! Thank you Standard.

So, what do the folks say about the pub today? It gets good reviews. The staff is well complimented, and the folks seem to like the food. One reviewer on pubsgalore.co.uk felt that the public is going too ‘Gastro’. So, I guess maybe they weren't there to eat! Pubs are under a lot of pressure these days and although I prefer a pub that's not particularly ‘Gastro’ as well, it's a, ‘Do what you can to survive situation,’ Gastro or not.

This part of the comments won my heart. Lots of TripAdvisor reviews compliment the pub's vibe as that of a local. If they can achieve that, I'm on board. There seems to be no regret on anyone's part for the seven-minute walk from the river to get to this pub, so I'm there the next time I visit Barnes. Okay, back to the river and east along the path to 373 Lonsdale Road and The Bulls Head pub.

With its origins dating back to at least the 17th century, The Bulls Head has long stood as a landmark along the Barnes Riverside. The current building was constructed in 1846, not long after the pub was acquired in 1831 by what would become Young's Brewery. Though separated from The Thames by a road and a wall, the pub still enjoys a classic waterside location and Victorian Era character, topped by a striking French Empire styled roof.

Inside, the layout is spacious and multi-level, with named rooms that pay tribute to notable figures connected to the area. Those include Composer Gustav Holtz, who lived nearby, and Glam Rock Star Marc Bolan, who died just down the road.

It's important to note that neither of these musicians played at The Bulls Head. Holtz is most famous for his seven-movement orchestral suite The Planets. It was written in the years immediately after he left his riverside digs and Barnes, but maybe he caught the inspiration from looking out over the river at a clear Barnes night sky. Marc Bolan was the Glam Rock icon behind the band T-Rex, best known for its hit Get It On and 20th Century Boy. With his distinctive voice, glittering style and hypnotic riffs, Bolan helped define the sound and the look of early ‘70s rock long before his pal David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust. Bolan was already strutting in platform boots and feather boas, mixing swagger, poetry and mysticism in a way that felt both ancient and brand new. He died tragically in 1977 at just 29 years old, when the car he was riding in crashed into a tree on Queen's Ride in Barnes, less than a mile from The Bulls Head.

The crash site is now marked by a modest shrine, which includes a bronze bust quietly honoring a star who burned bright and left too soon. In 2013, The Bulls Head further memorialized him with the naming of The Bolan Room, one of several spaces in the pub named for local figures who left a lasting mark.

The Bulls Head went from being just a pub to also being a jazz venue and a pub. In 1959, with the addition of its music room opening at the same time as Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the famous place over in Soho, it became known as The Suburban Ronnie Scott's. Along with Ronnie's, it was one of the most important jazz venues in Britain. Although it has gone through several changes in ownership since 1959, it has continued its commitment to serve as a venue for jazz.

It remains so today. Over the years, an impressive list of people have taken the stage, to name a few. British jazz greats Johnny Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Stan Tracey, Tony Lee, American jazz players Coleman Hawkins and Jimmy Wetherspoons, and rock stars Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger, Alan Price and Gary Moore. As for the pub portion, by amalgamating reviewer's comments, it can be described as follows,

“Décor wise, the interior balances traditional touches with a clean, modern look, has steel tones, exposed brick and white wooden floors lend a stylish feel, while furniture is a mix of standard and high ceilings, restrooms or notably smart, and a jazz soundtrack often fills the space, though at certain times this may blend with the sound of a televised sport depending on what's showing.”

Still, for many, The Bulls Head remains a cherished spot for both its musical heritage and riverside charm.

Okay, out and over to our next one. The Sun Inn at Seven Church Road, about a five-minute walk away. As we walk, let's talk about Barnes’ history, shall we? There's a seven-page PDF published by the Friends of Saint Mary's Barnes and the Barnes and Mortlake History Society that provides historical highlights of the last 1000 years of Barnes. It was compiled by Miss Maisie Brown, and I found it just charming. Let me read some selected points. I think it helps us connect with the folks from the past. 

“Year 925. Barnes, formerly part of Manor of Mortlake, is given to Saint Paul's Cathedral.

1.  Three weeks’ supply of grain to make bread and beer for Saint Paul's live in canons must be sent annually.
2.  The Domesday Book records barns valued for taxation at 7 pounds per year. Estimated population, 50 to 60. 
3.  Villagers are assessed three days a week work on the Barnes estate and gave eggs, chickens and grains in quantities as in previous years, in return for strips of land in the open fields. Estimated population 120.
4.  April 1st. Manor Court ruled that cattle and pigs belonging to Mortlake shall not graze on Barnes Common.
5.  Plague. 18 die in Barnes. 300 in Mortlake.
6.  Part of The Common taken to make Queen's Ride, enabling Queen Caroline to get from London to Richmond without traversing Putney. 
7.  Smallpox epidemic. 54 die in Barnes. 
8.  Barnes population 860, with 170 houses.
9.  First Hammersmith Bridge open. 
10.  Stragglers and destroyed by fire. Rebuilt as The Red Lion. “

An aside - That's our last stop today.

“1835. Village stocks removed from the grain. 

1.  First University Boat Race rode over the Expanded Champion Course, Putney, to Mortlake side. Cambridge won by ten lengths.”

Aside - remember that for the next pub trivia night.

“1846 railway comes to Barnes after much protest.” 

It doesn't say why.

“1849 Barnes railway bridge opens. 

1.  Ebenezer Cobb Morley, first Secretary of the Football Association and widely known as the Father of Football, drew up the first rules of the game at his home at 26 Barnes Terrace.
2.  First smallpox vaccination given to 46 girls at Westfields Girls School. Barnes, population 10,047.
3.  James Betts establishes a cricket bat factory on Willow Avenue.” 

Which becomes Ohm's Engineering Works, the largest employer in Barnes. It closed in 1971.

“1906. First motorized bus service from Barnes to London. 

1.  World War I. 353 men and one woman from Barnes die in the conflict.
2.  Terrorist attempt to blow up Hammersmith Bridge, foiled by brave passer by -ladies hairdresser Maurice Childs.” 

An aside - this was part of an IRA terror campaign that occurred in 1939 and 1940. It died out as World War II got going. 

“1940. First bomb falls on Barnes on the 25th of August. By the end of the war, 114 Armed Forces members and 59 civilians from Barnes were killed.

1.  Two trains collide on railway beneath Queen's Ride. 13 killed. 41 injured.” 

And finally,

“2014. Olympic Cinema opens in the original Byfeld Hall as a luxury cinema, converting the recent recording studios back to the hall's original use.” 

An aside - we will talk more about this after our next pub.

Wow, talk about a time machine! Thank you, Miss Brown.

There's one thing that was left out, though. A duel was fought on Barn Elms a few years back. January 1668, to be exact. That's over by our last pub. Maybe we ought to get a bit braced before we get into the details of that one. Anyway, here we are at The Sun Inn.

The Sun Inn has appeared in trade directories since at least 1720. It served as a rest stop on the Putney - Barnes - Richmond route, which was popular with market and chapel goers adjacent to Barnes Pond. It has been a fixture in local postcards and paintings. The building itself is a beautiful example of traditional British pub design. Its appearance features whitewashed gabled front, bay windows and ivy-covered facade. It has been Grade II Listed since 1988.

CAMRA said that this pub was originally a Georgian Coffee House, but it sold beer since around 1776. Inside, the pub is rich in nooks and crannies, alcoves and snugs, often separated by dark wood, and leaded glass screens, creating a sense of intimacy and discovery with steps throughout.

Lots of good reviews, 81% on TripAdvisor are good or excellent. Food seems to be a big part of the business, but several folks talk about the local feel, beer selection and how nice it is just to pop in for a couple of drinks. Overall, I would say The Sun Inn passes muster and seems to have been doing so for at least 300 years. And hey, you can't get a better view of Barnes Pond while sipping a brewski.

Now I know you may want to sit back, relax. Have another. But we have one more pub to get to. Maybe this piece from Haunted Hostelries.uk will get you going.

“In April 2001 Barnes Pond dramatically emptied overnight, although a broken drain was suspected. No cause could be conclusively found. It's hard to believe. However, there were murmurs of paranormal involvement. It has since been returned to its previous glory. There have been legends of ghosts and apparitions in the Barnes Pond area for many years. They are believed to have been people who committed suicide or accidentally drowned in the pond. The Sun Inn exhibits ghostly manifestations. These include several ghosts on the top floor. However, there is no precise history from them. They may well have been bodies brought to the pub until inquest could be held. There's also reports of a dog that frequently barks loudly in parts of the pub where there's no such animal.” 

Wow, that did it!. Got you going, huh? I don't think I've seen anyone move that fast to the door in a while!

Okay. Head east for about nine minutes, mostly on Church Road, and we'll get to our last pub. On the way we pass something Miss Brown mentioned in her time machine. Remember her entry said 2014 Olympic Cinema opens in what was Byfeld Hall. Converting the recent recording studio back to the hall's original use.

I think she didn't think much of the recording studio being there, but I will tell you, this is no run of the mill studio. Let me read to you from the first paragraph of the Wikipedia article on this place,

“Olympic Studios was a British independent recording studio based on Church Road Barnes, London. It’s best known for its recording many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century, including Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Led Zeppelin, Ella Fitzgerald, Queen, Ray Charles, The Who, B.B. King, Traffic, Prince, The Eagles, Eric Clapton, Adele, and more. It is often regarded as being as significant as Abbey Road Studios and remains an important cultural landmark.”

See what I mean? That should pique your interest. Begun in Central London in the 1950s, the studio was moved to 117 Church Road in 1966, taking over Byfeld Hall, which had been built in 1906. The Rolling Stones were among the first clients. Then The Beatles did some early work there on their song, All You Need Is Love. Next, Jimi Hendrix moved in and recorded large parts of his first three albums - Are you Experienced, Acts As Bold As Love, and Electric Ladyland. On and on from there. Led Zeppelin's first album, All the Way through Physical Graffiti and their last studio track, Kashmir. The Who recorded Who's Next and Quadrophenia. David Bowie. Deep Purple. Blind Faith, The Seekers. The Moody Blues, Procol Harum. Heck, my entire record collection was recorded at this place and then film scores! Jesus Christ Superstar. The Life of Brian. The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Wow! Just wow!

In 1987, Virgin bought the studios, and by 2008, they announced the closure. I don't see something this significant to the music of our time being just shut down and forgotten. But they didn't consult me.

Wikipedia gives us a little vague hope with this paragraph,

“Although much of Olympic has returned to its original purpose as a cinema, it still maintains a small recording facility designed with the help of original members of the studio staff, who are also now involved in the construction of a much larger studio performance and teaching space to run alongside Olympic Cinema at the iconic location.”

Disappointing, isn't it? That just doesn't seem to be enough. I will link the Wikipedia article in the notes. You might want to check it out, especially the section at the end entitled, “Artists at Olympic Studios, 1966 through 2009.” Everybody, simply everybody was there.

Okay, let's proceed to the pub. I need an attitude adjustment. But first, let's get one more piece of history out before we take in a bit of liquid water at the pub.

The pub we are going to, The Red Lion sits on the north west side of an open area that has long been referred to as Barn Elms. Today, Barn Elms consists of various sports fields and is managed sometimes referred to in total as, “Barn Elms Sports Center.” Now, unlike the village, this area uses Barn in the singular.

So, what's the history we're talking about, you ask? Well, for that, we start with a nobleman from a family of noblemen, one, Francis Talbot, The 11th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was an Officer in the forces supporting The Royalists in the 1650s, trying to keep the King on the throne. After they were defeated, he hung out in Europe for a time but eventually made it back to Britain and tried to smooth things over with the anti-royalists then in power, led by Oliver Cromwell.

That worked to the degree that he was able to keep his head after the pendulum swung the other way in the 1660s, and Charles II took the throne. Shrewsbury was a man well positioned, and took plum assignments in the King's court, but his domestic life was not favorable. After his first wife died, he married the said to be notorious Lady Anna Maria Brudenell.

Evidently Lady Anna did not take the fidelity clause in their nuptial vows very seriously, and by the 10th year of their marriage Shrewsbury could stand it no more. He challenged George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, who was one of her lovers, to a duel on the 16th of January 1668. The venue? Barn Elms.

By special arrangement, The Historic London Pubcast has details from our man on the scene, Mr. Samuel Pepys. Although he was not there on the day of the event, he got the story the next day at Whitehall, which was all a buzz about the goings on. Pepys starts out by giving us the dramatis personae, the doers and their seconds,

“The Duke of Buckingham, Holmes and one Jenkins on one side, and my Lord of Shrewsbury, Sir John Talbot and one Bernard Howard on the other side.”

He then described in his straightforward way, the issue at hand,

“All about my Lady Shrewsbury, who is a whore, and is at this time, and hath for a great while, been a whore to the Duke of Buckingham. And so, her husband challenged him, and they met yesterday in a close near Barn Elms.” 

Now he gives us the results. The choice of weapons was swords, so things got nasty.

“My Lord Shrewsbury is run through the body from the right breast, through the shoulder. And Sir John Talbot (that’s Buckingham), all up along one of his arms, and Jenkins killed upon the place, and the rest all in little measure wounded.” 

The final count was husband Shrewsbury -killed. Jenkins, one of Buckingham’s seconds killed, and all others, including Buckingham, wounded.

Finally, Pepys could not resist making a bit of sarcastic comment on the matter.

“This will make the world think that the King has good counselors about him. When the Duke of Buckingham, the greatest man about him, is a fellow of no more sobriety than to fight about a whore.”

Wiki tells us which side Lady Shrewsbury was on. She is said to have disguised herself as a Page and held Buckingham's horse during the duel and afterwards slept with him while he wore the blood-stained shirt he had been wearing when he wounded her husband.

But be advised. Some sources say this is more legend and fact. They did end up having two children together. Nothing happened to Buckingham as a result of his duel. Perhaps because, like his adversary, he was a Loyalist. He subsequently had his political ups and downs and eventually retired from public life, dying at age 59 of natural causes. So, look out over the open space as we approach The Red Lion. That's where it all happened.

Although the pub missed all the action of the 1600s, it still has historical cred. CAMRA gives us a good intro,

“The Red Lion is a large Victorian landmark pub located at the entrance to Barn Elms Sports Complex. First registered as a public house known as The Strugglers in 1718, it was destroyed by fire in 1835 and rebuilt in its present form, along with a change of name.”

An aside here. Remember Miss Brown's timeline from earlier? It told us that the fire that had burned the previous pub was actually five years earlier, in 1830, and the pub's name was The Stragglers, not The Strugglers, as CAMRA reports. Sorry for being so picky. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of the discrepancy. Back now to the CAMRA description,

“In recent times it was a hotel and a free house until 1978, when it was acquired by Fullers. It underwent a major refurbishment in 2017. There's a spacious, wood paneled, comfortable rear room featuring a large colored mosaic central dome ceiling, leaded stained-glass windows and a large fireplace. Outside is a heated covered patio and beyond this a large artificial grass garden with plenty of seating that includes a children's fenced play area. The garden bar is open on busy summer days or as demand requires. There's also extensive outside seating along the side in front of the pub that includes two cozy, four-seated heated cabins. Food is available from varied modern menu. The pub is renowned for its annual Great Sausage Roll Bake Off competition, a live cooking event where around 20 professional chefs take their turns to create, roll, and bake their own take on the sausage roll.”

Thanks CAMRA! Looks like a good place to stop in.

The generally tough reviewers on pubsgalore.co.uklike it (see the notes), and it gets 83% good or excellent ratings from the TripAdvisor reviewers. But in this case, we have a special review from a unique perspective.

In 2022, Dan Wiggins, clearly an intrepid pub fan like us, decided to check out what he thought were all the pubs in London carrying the name, “Red Lion.” He made that to be 24. His write-up was published in thelondonpress.co.uk

Now he didn't do this in a day, mind you, but a period he referred to as, “Months.” He commented briefly on each and then gave a 1 to 5 rating in each of three categories exterior, sign and interior. The link to his full articleis in, well, you know by now, you know where it is.

Okay. How did this Red Lion fare?

“Pretty darn good,”

he commented.

“The Red Lion in Barnes is a nice-looking pub with an unusual design. A forest pub. This particular Red lion is unusually looking, with a balcony out front and a pair of real red lines on either side of the main entrance to greet you. Inside, the pub is beautifully decorated and cozy, with plenty to choose from to eat and drink, although you'll need a deep wallet. The interior of Barnes’ Red Lion is just as nice as the outside, with a wide range of drinks to try.” 

His three-category rating for the pub was (now remember, each of these is out of a max of five), Exterior 4.2. Sign 4 and Interior 4.5.

So, how does this compare to the best Red Lion he found? That was the one in Kennington. The answer, very close. Sign was the same, 4.5. Interior of the Kennington pub was 4.5 versus 4 for the Barnes, and Exterior was 5 versus 4.2 for Barnes. I think his report serves to further recommend this pub.

beerpages.com reported in a 2021 article that The Red Lion had won Fuller's Master Solomon Award. The Fuller's website says this is no small achievement,

“The Master Solomon accolade rewards exceptional seller standards and brilliant beer keeping. It is a mark of premium quality that you can rely on, and it's not a title we give away lightly. To earn honor, pubs must score 90% or more in four consecutive assessments, with marks easily lost even for the slightest smear on a pint glass. Assessing our pubs is a full-time job, with every establishment checked four times a year. That's more than 1500 inspections every calendar year. All to ensure you can enjoy beautiful beer from cellars well and truly up to scratch.” 

Way to go Fuller's, and congratulations to The Red Lion Barnes for meeting a high standard in their poured product. This one is a thumbs up!

And even if you need one more thing to convince you to pop in, an article from thelondonist.com about this pub says,

“Even Jimi Hendrix found his way to The Red Lion, supposedly writing Purple Haze here.”

 Please, please let that be true.

So, that does it for our trip around Barnes. Lots of good pubs and interesting stuff. If you are headed that way with this info in hand, be sure to also check out the previous episode on Mortlake so you'll be clued in about what's happening just next door.

If you've enjoyed this little wander today through pubs of the past, we'd love to hear from you. Stories, memories or ghost sightings are always welcome. You'll find us at historiclondonpubcast.com or drop us a line at the email listed in the notes hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

If you haven't already, hit the follow, or subscribe for the show so the next tale finds you when it's ready.

Let's just say there's a bar stool waiting and the past is buying the first round. Until then, Cheers!

Well, if you’ve made it this far without getting haunted, jazzed, or challenged to a duel — congrats, you’ve survived our Barnes pub crawl!

Podcast Producer, Andy Meddick, here. Here’s the take aways from today’s episode:

• Queen Alexandra was basically the OG pub influencer — so beloved, pubs and Masonic lodges were named after her.
• The Brown Dog got rescued by a shoemaker and an F1 driver, proving that even pubs deserve a second act.
• The Bulls Head hosted more jazz legends than Ronnie Scott’s — and no, Marc Bolan never played there, but he did die nearby, so that counts for something.
• The Sun Inn is haunted by ghostly figures and possibly a very vocal spectral dog. Woof.
• Barnes once had a duel so scandalous that even Samuel Pepys couldn’t keep the gossip to himself.
• And Jimi Hendrix might have written Purple Haze at The Red Lion - which, if true, should probably qualify the place for historical preservation by UNESCO.
• Oh, and let’s not forget — Olympic Studios basically recorded the soundtrack of the 20th century before becoming a posh cinema. RIP to the rock legends who laid tracks there.

Up next on Episode 48 of The Historic London Pubcast, we leave the haunted charm of Barnes behind and crank the voltage up in Battersea — home of Battersea Power Station, 20th-century electricity, and 19th-century pint-pouring perfection.

Here's a little taste of what's on tap:

• A power station so iconic it starred in Pink Floyd album art and Monty Python.
• Victorian pubs with attitude: The Prince Albert throws shade with parody signs and perfect pints.
  Creole jazz bars, riverside party pubs, and not one — but two — pubs named The Woodman.
• The rise, fall, and return of Young's legendary Ram Brewery — 500 years of beer heritage in one block.
   And yes, we meet a pub so quirky, it renamed itself after a missing cat: The Cat’s Back. (Spoiler: the cat returned.)

From steam-powered grandeur to boozers saved by local petitions, next episode is a pub-soaked stroll through Wandsworth’s wild side.

Next stop: Battersea, Wandsworth & the heart of brewing history.