Historic London Pubcast

Historic Pub Walk Battersea Power Station to Wandsworth

• Eric Blair • Season 1 • Episode 48

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Join us on a pub walk London won’t let you forget. In this episode of The Historic London Pubcast, we take a leisurely but legendary London pub crawl from the iconic Battersea Power Station through the historic backstreets of Wandsworth, exploring the city's Victorian pubs, quirky local legends, and centuries of London beer history.

Our pub tour kicks off at the Grade II-listed Battersea Power Station — a marvel of London industrial heritage now home to high-end shops (and a beautifully theatrical Marks & Spencer Simply Food). Along the way, we relive the bizarre tale of the Pink Floyd Battersea pig balloon that made Heathrow air traffic control sweat.

Next, we raise a glass at the Prince Albert pub Battersea, salute the ever-evolving Woodpecker pub (jazz lounge, Creole kitchen, and now live music haven), and visit The Woodman, saved by 4,000 loyal locals. This walking tour London detours to riverside gems like The Waterfront and The Ship, each boasting a different take on pub architecture and atmosphere.

In Wandsworth, the history gets deeper (and boozier). Discover the roots and revival of Ram Brewery Wandsworth, where 500 years of brewing tradition meet craft beer comebacks. Sip in style at the Spread Eagle pub Wandsworth, dripping in stained glass and Victorian glam, and finish at The Cat’s Back pub, a charming relic with one very elusive feline.

This episode is a must-listen for fans of:

  • London travel guide inspiration
  • Hidden London history
  • Quirky London pubs
  • Off the beaten path London
  • And of course, anyone planning the ultimate London pub tour

Whether you’re into London podcast adventures, love a good history podcast UK style, or just want solid UK travel ideas, we’ve got your pint poured and your path mapped.

Cheers, and mind the pink pigs.

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Show Map: 

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

References:

  • Ted Bruning  -- Historic Pubs of London (ISBN 978-0658005022) 
  • Wikipedia

Battersea, Prince Albert, Woodpecker, Woodman

https://batterseapowerstation.co.uk/about/heritage-history/

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs///BatterseaEast/PrinceAlbert.shtm

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/prince-albert-battersea-140365

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/BatterseaNorthWest/HighStreet42.shtml

https://www.closedpubs.co.uk/london/sw11_battersea_originalwoodman.html

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/woodpecker-battersea-140315

https://camra.org.uk/pubs/woodman-battersea-140457

https://pubwiki.co.uk/LondonPubs/BatterseaNorthWest/HighStreet42.shtml

Ship & The Waterfront

London’s Riverside Pubs by Time Hampson  ISBN  978-1–5048-0021-1

Website: https://historiclondonpubcast.com

E-mail: hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com

Ready for a walking tour where power plants meet pints? Andy Meddick, Podcast Producer, here. We start our walking tour of London historic sites and historic pubs with Battersea’s iconic skyline. We hear a story of an inflatable pig on the loose, visit Battersea’’s Thames river pubs and hear pub tales that span Victorian elegance, jazz-era rebrands, and one pub saved by 4,000 thirsty locals. 

Then it’s off to Wandsworth, where 500 years of brewing history at The Ram Brewery sets the scene for the best pubs in Wandsworth. Historic landmarks, riverside gems, and a pub named after a disappearing cat that came back.  

Hey Eric, did you hear, cats back?

Welcome to this episode of The Historic London Pubcast. 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.

We're starting today, not with a pub, although I assure you we will get to a few of those. But we start with a London skyline icon, the Battersea Power Station. This structure housed the machinery that produced, at its peak, about 20% of London's electricity. The plant was in operation from the end of the 1930s to the early 1980s. And before it was taken out of production, its artistic design received a Grade II Listing, indicating that the facility was more than just a power generator. It is located on the south bank of the Thames and Nine Elms, Battersea, also an area known as Wandsworth. 

The Battersea plant represents a wonderful combination of art and engineering. How did that happen? We start with Standen Leonard Pearce, an engineer who worked his way up the ladder successfully implementing power generation projects in parts of Britain outside of London.

In 1926, Pearce was appointed Engineer in Chief of the London Power Company, which had been formed to deliver London a coordinated electricity supply. Prior to this, the electrical system had grown up from an uncoordinated patchwork, resulting in inefficiencies and reliability issues. But the powers that be wanted the facility not just to be functional, but also pleasing to the eye.

Architect Kyle Scott was brought into design the exterior and the architectural practice. Halliday and Heygate to create the spectacular Art Deco interior. A great team was formed. Architect Scott came to the project already well known as a 22-year-old apprentice architect. He made an entry into the contest to design Liverpool Cathedral. One of over 100 submitted his was chosen.

He went on to design many churches and other buildings, with his probably best known for his Battersea work and for the design of the red ‘phone boxes. Both Scott and Pearce were knighted for their contributions. Work on the station began in 1929, with the first section being completed in 1935. A second section was added in 1944 in the intervening war years.

The website states that in 1940, RAAF pilots used plumes of white vapor from the chimneys to guide them home in the mist. The Luftwaffe were also used to plumes for navigation, which explains why the power station avoided extensive bombing. That last bit seems a little improbable. Bombers sent over to disrupt the infrastructure, giving a major power production facility a pass because it helped with their navigation? Okay, I guess stranger things have happened. 

After the turbines stopped, the station with its 42-acre site was a prime area for development, but it took a while to get plans going. In 2012, the property was purchased by a Malaysian development consortium and work began to redevelop a new community of homes, shops, cafes, restaurants, cultural venues and open space for the city. The first 800 homes went on sale in 2013 and were all sold in just four days. One of the fastest selling developments on record in 2015. Work on a new underground station commenced.

Today's Battersea Power Station offers a rare blend of London's industrial past and modern riverside culture, where you can shop, dine, explore inside a restored architectural icon. From panoramic views atop a former chimney to immersive attractions like Jurassic World, it's a striking destination where history meets experience. 

Over the years, its distinctive appearance has been featured by media in several ways. One of the station's earliest film appearances was Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 film Sabotage. This was before construction of the B station. 

In 1977, an inflatable pink pig floating between the two southern chimneys appears on the front cover of Pink Floyd's album Animals. The inflatable pig was tethered to one of the southern chimneys, but lost its mooring and rose to the flight path of Heathrow Airport. Police helicopters tracked its course until it finally landed off the coast of Kent. 

The control room of Station A is used as the backdrop for a scene in Monty Python's film The Meaning of Life, 1983. 

Several other films and music videos included Battersea scenes like the 2008 Batman film The Dark Knight. 

I think it's just terrific that an industrial facility can be built with such aesthetics that is loved and preserved long after its original function ceased.

But there are other things of beauty that are still performing their original function. And that would be some historic pubs. 

With the Battersea at our back, let's head west through Battersea Park to the east side. At 85 Albert Bridge Road we come to The Prince Albert There are four pubs in London with that name or similar. We covered The Albertover in Westminster in Episode 18. This Prince Albert has been around since the 1850s. Pubwiki includes a couple of pictures of the pub in the days past. I like the one from 1890. Not a motor car in sight. See the link in the notes.

As you enter the pub, you might see a sign that seems a bit puzzling. Let me explain. Just up from the pub at the river is the Albert Bridge. This suspension bridge, constructed in the 1870s, has had a long struggle with structural issues, and a narrow 27ft roadway makes it ill-suited for modern traffic. Though often considered for demolition or being restricted to pedestrians only, it has remained open, supported by various repairs and traffic restrictions. Today it carries very little traffic. Only Southwark Bridge sees less, but it's hanging in there. 

It remains one of just two Central Thames Road bridges never replaced. Its nickname is The Trembling Lady for its tendency to shake underfoot, especially when marched on by troops from nearby Chelsea Barracks. Concerns about the risk of mechanical resonance effects on suspension bridges, following the collapse of a couple of bridges in the first half of the 1800s, led to notices being placed at the entrances warning troops to break step.

In other words, not to march in rhythm when crossing that bridge. The bridge still bears these signs, though the barracks closed in 2008. 

The Prince Albert pub plugs into this with a parody sign out front. That's the one that may have caught your attention. It warns, 

“All troops must break step when marching into this ale house.” 

CAMRA tells us that, 

“The Prince Albert is a solid Victorian corner pub. The interior has been thoroughly refurbished, but an impressive island bar remains.”

Most commentators agree with CAMRA that this is a good Victorian pub in a great location, with even a beer garden around back, and the island bar seems to catch everyone's attention. Of course, after they've read the entry sign, as you know, the pub is right near The Albert Bridge and it sits on Albert Bridge Road, but if you needed an additional reason to call the pub The Prince Albert, here it is. 

There was a kind of a grand building that was up against the south end of the park. So just down the street. 

This was The Albert Palace – an ambitious Victorian project, designed as a grand entertainment and exhibition venue to rival the Crystal Palace. Opened in 1885, it re-used part of the glass and iron structure originally built for the Dublin International Exhibition in 1865. Investors hoped it would draw crowds from the growing suburbs, and capitalize on the appeal of genteel recreation. The Palace featured ornamental gardens, tropical greenhouses, concert halls, art galleries and a winter skating rink. An eclectic mix typical of late 19th century leisure spaces.

Despite the promise, The Albert Palace struggled financially almost from the start. Poor transportation links and competition from more established attractions meant it never drew the large audiences it needed to stay afloat. It closed its doors in 1888 after just three years of operation. By the early 1890s, the structure was dismantled, and its land was eventually absorbed into Battersea Park.

Today, almost no trace of The Albert Palace remains, but it lives as a cautionary tale of overreaching Victorian optimism. Our pub today having been established 2 or 3 decades earlier, would’ve seen The Palace come and go - like the suds atop a pint. 

Okay, let's head west over to Battersea High Street. We're in the neighborhood now, and we'll pass a couple of neighborhood pubs. The first being The Woodpecker, and just down the street, The Woodman. 

These are good local boozers that have been around for a while, but I think what is interesting is the path that each took to becoming what we see today.

Let's start with The Woodpecker at 42 to 44 Battersea High Street. Records show a pub here back in the 1840s named The Original Woodman.

Wait a minute, Eric. You just said The Woodman lives down the street. Right you are. This is The Original Woodman. The one down at 60 Battersea High Street is just The Woodman. Both were coexisting in surveys of 1861 and 1881 with their separate names. I can only assume the original came first. 

closedpubs.co.uk tells us that after the turn of the millennium, The Original Woodman took a different direction. A poster to that site, Sylvia Rush Brooks, says,

“I took over The Original Woodman in 2003. It was made into a 1930 Parisian brasserie wine bar, a live music venue.”

 She linked a web page of that venue that gives us its name and a self-description, 

“Le Quecumbar.” 

Aside, I love word plays and naming, especially involving vegetables. 

“London's world premiere Gypsy Swing-Jazz Manouche Restaurant/Jazz Venue.” 

Under that heading was a picture of Paris jazz guitar star of the 30s, Django Reinhardt. It looks like a happening place. Unfortunately, according to Sylvia, the effect of COVID, increasing overheads, and an expiring lease dealt the business a crushing blow. It closed in 2023. CAMRA takes it from here, 

“Reopened May 2024 as a 'Louisiana Lounge/Creole Kitchen', one of the small 'Rhythm & Booze' chain, with live music most nights. Two stages. Dark green walls and white ceilings. Renamed Woodpecker in November 2024, seemingly less food oriented.”

Thanks, CAMRA. 

Currently, the pub appears to be establishing itself in a niche in the music scene, with frequent open mic nights and performances from local acts. Now, what about its neighbor to the west, a few steps?

The Woodman took a more traditional route. It continued as a neighborhood bar, sticking with the name that it has had for the last 150 years. But their journey was not without difficulty. In the first half of 2023, there was a change in management, and the pub got some awful reviews. At the same time, the pub's owner, Hall and Woodhouse, began looking to sell the pub. 

Coincidence? I think not. But local voices emerged. A petition was set up online to keep the pub as is, and almost 4000 signatures were obtained. The owners listened. Good for them. New management was found, and reviews have been glowing since 2024. Congrats to the locals that saved their pub. 

I went into this a bit to remind us that we have two pubs here, nearly 200 years old, but they still live very fragile lives in today's world. These stories serve to make me appreciate our pub heritage and I hope it does for you as well. Additionally, like the petition signers for The Woodman, we may have to make our voices heard when the need arises. 

Off again now. Further west, we cut over to walk along the river until we come to a couple of really nice riverside pubs located on either side of Wandsworth Bridge. The first one is The Waterfront in Baltimore House. Tim Hampton's book, London's Riverside Pubs does a good job of telling us about this beauty,

“It is open and airy and built on several floors, with light flooding in through large expanse of windows. A marvel of contemporary architecture, and often asks the question what on earth is holding up the ceiling because the glaze seems to run unimpaired from floor to roof. This is a Young’s pub with a large terrace outside that gets very crowded on sunny days. 

This location was once known as Gargoyle Wharf, and was the site of a shell oil terminal and a distillery. From the street name, we get a clue to what kind of spirits were produced at that distillery. We're on Juniper Drive. 

If you want to have a pint on the other side of the bridge, just to take a view from that as well, our next river pub, The Ship at 41 Jew’s Row, is waiting for you. Back to Tim Hampton's book. He says,

“The Ship is one of West London's best-known pubs, and is renowned for its good food, great beer and party atmosphere.”

Thanks, Tim. 

Like its cross-bridge buddy, it's a Young’s pub as well. But this building is not recent. Like The Waterfront, it dates back to 1809, although CAMRA says it was a pub here in 1786 called The Thames Watermans Inn. Young & Company snapped up the lease in 1832 and bought it outright before the turn of the century. Clearly, they knew a good thing when they saw it. 

A review on Pubs Galore from 2019 says some things that appeal to me, 

“Close to the Thames but next door to an aggregates wharf this has the look and feel of a proper pub. The battleship grey doesn't mean it's gastro. There are two separate rooms with the smaller corner room very charming. There is bench seating in dark red leather, some good etched glass and a wood burner in a recess while the flooring is in dark wood. The island bar is in a lighter wood and the muzak was at a sensible volume.”

I think I could think of worse places to pass away a bit of time on a sunny afternoon, but drink up now, we're off again. This time a bit inland to an area that's been ground zero for beer in Wandsworth for about half a millennium. Yes, you heard me right. Half a millennium. And as we head to 68 Wandsworth High Street, I'll clue you in. 

Brewing began in Wandsworth in the 16th century. The area’s clean water and easy access to The River Thames made it an ideal spot for malting and brewing. By the 1570s, a brewhouse stood near the River Wandle. That's a Thames tributary that runs through the town, and over the centuries the site evolved to various hands until it was acquired in 1831 by Charles Alan Young and Anthony Bainbridge. Together they laid the foundation for what would become Young's Brewery, establishing The Ram Brewery as a fixture of London's beer scene and Wandsworth local identity. 

The Ram emblem, an old pub sign inherited from a previous establishment on the site, became the enduring symbol of the company. Through the 19th and 20th century, Young's grew into one of Britain's most respected regional breweries. Known for its cast ales and strong network of tied pubs across London and Southeast. Unusual for the capital, Young's continued brewing on its original site well into the modern age. But in the new millennium there began to be questions as to the continuing viability of The Ram. It wasn't economical to modernize. Large scale brewing elsewhere offered better efficiency and the underlying value of the prime real estate the site occupied offered capital that could be put to good use in Young's pub business. 

At the time, Young's was run by John Young, the great-great grandson of the company founder. He was a fixture for over 50 years, not just in the company, but in the beer industry as a whole and for his charity work. He promoted the movement for the return of real ale. CAMRA loved him and now has a John Young Award given to people or organizations to recognize their promotion of real ale. 

Chairman Young took the painful decision in 2006 to close The Ram Brewery, ending 175 years of operation under the Young's name.

Young's merged its brewing operation with Charles Wells of Bedford, forming Wells and Young Brewing Company and shifting production away from London altogether. Sadly, the last beer was brewed at The Ram in September 2006, the same week that John Young died of cancer. Some of that last brew was served at his funeral. 

In subsequent years Young's exited brewing altogether when Wells bought out their partnership. The company now concentrates on 220 or so pubs and hotels that they own. You can still get Young's beers, but it's now brewed under license. As for the old Ram site, it was transformed into The Ram Quarter, a mixed-use development combining housing, retail and leisure spaces. But in the hurry to modernize, the brewing tradition was not forgotten.

At the time of the closure, Young's had proudly claimed that The Ram was the longest continuously operating brewery in Britain - 1533 to 2006. Keen to preserve that legacy, the new owners employed a former Young's brewer as a site manager. One of his tasks produced small batches of beer in the old laboratory, strictly on a non-commercial basis. These modest monthly brews kept the historic claim alive, ensuring that beer had never quite stopped flowing on the site.

As redevelopment progressed, new brewers began to arrive. A nano brewery inside the reopened ram launched under the name Sly Beast Brewing in 2019, although it changed hands and brewing eventually ceased in 2024. It played a role in bridging the past and future. The most lasting revival came with Sam Books Brewing, a south London operation that took up residence in The Ram Quarter in 2021 and reestablished full scale commercial brewing on the site and thus secured the next chapter of Wandsworth’s deep brewing tradition.

When The Ram Brewery closed, its taproom closed as well. This historic pub has been around since the establishment of brewing, meaning 1500s. The first record most sources cite is the property owner, Elizabeth Reardon, leasing out the premises in 1550. 25 years later in 1576, tecords exist that give the pub's name as The Rame, spelled with an E at the end. Young's bought it in 1831 and it became known as The Ram Inn, showcasing the brewery's beers. Fire and rebuild occurred in the 1880s. 

The current building is Grade II Listed as dating from 1883. In 1974, the name was changed to reflect its function, The Brewery Tap. The pub remained closed from the time the brewery shuttered in 2006, but came back to life in 2019, taking the old name The Ram. The revitalized pub gets good reviews and looks like a fun place. It has big shoes to fill tradition wise, but it looks like it's up to the challenge. I'm planning to give it a shot the next time I'm out that way. 

Like I said, we're in the beating heart of Wandsworth beer country, so we don't have to go far to the next historic pub. This one is The Spread Eagle just 115ft away. 

Frequent listeners know I have a high regard for what Ted Bruning writes about London pubs. Let me read you a bit about what he says about The Spread Eagle in his book, Historic Pubs of London. Now remember he wrote this about 25 years ago. The Ram was still brewing, and Mr. Young was still at the helm of the company.

“Wandsworth has been an important center of brewing since the 17th century, and so many splendid pubs that choosing the right one for the inclusion is very hard. After many contemplative pints, The Spread Eagle emerged as the winner for its pure, unashamed, magnificence. There is something about it which is more expressive of Young's character than some of the company's better-known pubs in the area. Like flamboyant chairman John Young, the pub is extravagant up front, with its stained-glass portico straddling the pavement. Inside its big public bar and truly cavernous lounge are divided by original and ornate glass and mahogany partitions. As with the company itself, remains of the Victorian origin give color and character to the very modern business operation, and, like Young's, The Spread Eagle stands on ancient foundations. Completely rebuilt in 1898, it replaced a coaching inn which had stood on the site since at least 1780, and probably much longer, and which Young's acquired as long ago as 1836. The old Spread Eagle was a considerable establishment at the very heart of its community. As well as extensive stabling, it boasted a tea garden, a ballroom and separate licensing tap in the assembly room, which doubled as a concert hall until 1900 and later became the area's first cinema. From 1874, bits of the site surplus space now coaching was well and truly dead were progressively sold off. Part became a bank, part was sold to the Public Works Department, and part became the Wandsworth County Court - a natural development, since before 1860 the magistrates had sat in the pub anyway. Although The Spread was altered and greatly opened out in the ‘80s, it still remains the grandeur of the former 1898 rebuilding.” 

Thanks, Ted. Sorry to read so much right from your book, but I couldn't improve on the write-up if I tried.

Ted's book is well worth having. Even 25 years after publication. 

CAMRA recognizes this as a heritage pub with,

“An historic pub interior of national importance,”

and further add,

“Original features include extensive etched glass and an external canopy,”

and concluded,

“A traditional pub for young and old alike.”

The CAMRA link in the notes for the pub includes a paragraph from its Grade II Listing documentation. That's catnip for any hardcore pub architect fans, so check it out if that's you. 

Some good comments from reviewers at the website beerintheevening.com read,

“This is a beautiful, original Victorian London pub with gorgeous long bars, positively dripping with original carved mahogany and etched cut glass backings.”

“A super pub with almost as much glass as the Princess Louise in Holborn.”

And finally,

‘Amazing splendor through the doors.” 

Now, to be fair, I was selective in picking out these remarks. There are other reviews that talk less glowingly - the pros and cons about beer selection, and other pub banalities, but make no mistake, no one dishes the interior splendor. Another one to put on the list. 

Okay, off to our last pub. This one is The Cat's Back over closer to The Thames at 86 to 88 Point Pleasant, about a half mile away. As we head there, let me reinforce what Ted Bruning alludes to in the piece I read from his book. With Wandsworth’s historic beer tradition, there are several great pubs to choose from. Let me just mention a few if you want to spend more time here.

The Alma, a Victorian corner pub from 1872. The Candlemaker informally named The Greyhound that goes back to 1871, and The Old Sergeant going back to at least 1854. 

From CAMRA, 

“The Old Sergeant was awarded Best Community Pub of 2012 and is a friendly local, which was impressively refurbished in 2018 and voted the best place to bring your dog for a drink.”

Here's another happy story as we near the pub. In a 2016 article by local information site wandsworthsw18.com reported,

“Wandsworth has removed permitted development rights from 120 of the borough's bars and taverns. It means these local venues can no longer be converted into mini supermarkets, estate agents, homes or shops without the need for planning permission. Wandsworth is the first local authority in the country to grant Article Four directions on this scale, and the pioneering move could be copied up and down the country to help defend the nation's vulnerable pub trade. 

In recent years, an alarming number of local inns and taverns, including many viable and thriving businesses, have been quietly converted into other uses. Councils have been powerless to stop them, as owners have permitted development rights, allowing them to make change without the need for planning permission. The fast-spreading mini supermarket has exacerbated the problem, with major chains competing all over the country to find new premises and often choosing to convert pubs rather than taking over existing retail units. But following Wandsworth Council groundbreaking move, all 120 pub owners affected will have to seek approval from the town hall before changing the building use or knocking it down.” 

Remember this was back in 2016. Since then, Wandsworth’s wise action inspired others to take up the pub protection flag. Southwark was next to act, rolling out borough wide protections for nearly 200 pubs just a year later. Camden and Lewisham had already tested the waters with targeted restrictions and by 2017, national planning laws caught up removing permitted development rights from pubs across England whether or not they'd been listed as community assets. 

What started in Wandsworth as a local defense against creeping chain store conversions helped shift the national tide. 

Cheers to you, Wandsworth. You are certainly staying true to your beer brewing and pub friendly traditions.

Okay, we are here at The Cat's Back. This is a Victorian pub dating from at least the 1870s. At the time it was named The Foresters Arms. One source said that prior to that it operated as The Old House At Home, but I've not been able to find records verifying that that name. The Old House At Home was a Victorian phrase that has been taken by several pubs seeking to imply that this was your home away from home.

Sometime in recent years, I think it was in the 1990s, the pub cat made itself scarce during renovation, but returned when things quieted down. The sighting was noted by a shout out from one sharp eyed fellow, like the lookout crying land ho from the crow's nest! And the name stuck, so goodbye Foresters Arms, hello Cat's Back! 

The pub was well regarded for being a nice back street boozer. The decorative motif was what has been described ‘bric a brac’ which seemed to be popular with a lot of the regulars. 

An article in The Standard,which I'll link, celebrates the pub's quirkiness,

“Under Owner Roger Martin,” 

who they describe as a man that has,

“Steadfastly refused to acquiesce in any changes,”

describes the result of that, 

“So, it stands alone, a gloomy looking pub, while all around it shines squeaky clean.”

The article continued celebrating what we Yanks might lovingly call a dive bar. The reviewer concludes,

“I would say that this is one of the best finds I've come across in recent years for all the wrong reasons, and one that makes my job a sheer joy.”

But change was in the offing. In 2012, Harveys Brewery bought the pub as its second foothold in London. 

Harvey's, headquartered in Lewes, East Sussex, dates back to 1790 and is known today for its cask ales produced by traditional methods. Their first pub in London was The Royal Oak in Southwark. Their beers are highly regarded. After their purchase, Harvey's did a redo of the pub and frankly, some of the locals didn't like it that the bric a brac got cleaned up. But lots of other folks embraced the pub, especially because of their beers, and that Harvey's did keep the local feel to the place. 

CAMRA was charmed with the upgrade. In 2013, they awarded The Cat's Back their Joe Goodwin Award, which is given to a public house meeting the criteria of a well-executed, sympathetically restored or refurbished street corner community pub. Recent reviews, perhaps by those without memories of how the pub used to be, are positive. One summarizes, 

“Both as a destination pub and a friendly local, it is hard to look further than The Cat's Back.”

A nice compliment and it seems like a good pub to end our episode on today. Thanks for rambling with us. We went a bit long today, but you know me, I find it hard to pass a pub. Maybe you know the feeling. Hey, if you've got a favorite pub story or spotted something we've missed, we'd love to hear from you. You can find show notes, references and ways to get in touch at historiclondpubcast.com or drop us a line at the email in the notes here hosteric@historiclondonpubcast.com. Please follow or subscribe so you don't miss what's on tap next.

We'll be back soon with more tales from London's well-worn bar stools, the kind only history can produce. Until then, Cheers!

Andy Medick, Podcast Producer back with a question for you. What did you learn on today's historic pub crawl of Battersea and Wandsworth? 

Let me see if I can get it all right. 

Battersea makes electricity and memorable pubs. 

Wandsworth’s brewing roots run deep. Tudor deep. 

From power stations to pub signs warning troops to break step, history hides in plain sight and in our case, usually near a pub. Whether it's a cat, a cause or a chimney view, Eric has a fascinating story behind every pub stop along our walk. 

Until next time, cheers and don't forget to mind the pink pigs. 

Up next on Episode 49 of The Historic London Pubcast, we're crossing back over the River Thames and visiting Chelsea. We’ll  take in some great history and visit four fine Chelsea pubs: The Pig’s Ear, The Cross Keys, The Phene, and The Chelsea Potter. 

Eric foiled me again. Do you know why The King's Road, Chelsea, is so called? Well, we'll just have to wait and see. Catch the answer on Episode 49.