Located in the wild and woolly East End, specifically on Cambridge Heath Road, this pub has been standing since the 1800s. But it’s not just old; it’s theatrically old. The place was once a gin palace, a booze den for Victorian gents who needed a stiff drink before, well, more stiff drinks.
Then, in a plot twist no one saw coming, someone said, “Let’s shove a theatre in the back room.” And they did. Now, the front room is a classic pub with creaky floors and leather chairs, while the back houses a tiny, 70-seat auditorium. It’s like your nan’s living room, if your nan performed cabaret and drank whisky.
The Building Has Stories (and Ghosts, Probably)
Here’s the surprising fact: this joint has been a pub since 1844, but the building itself is older, built in the 1700s. That means it’s seen everything from horse-drawn carriages to people arguing about Love Island. The walls are practically sweating history—and also the condensation from too many hot pies.
Legends say a ghostly prostitute haunts the upper floors. I haven’t seen her, but I did see a man cry when they ran out of stout, which is spooky enough. The pub even survived the Blitz, which is impressive, given that German bombs loved hitting East End pubs. This one just shrugged and kept pouring.
