The London Pub Arts Trail

On a gloomy January day, I sought refuge at The Falcon in Battersea. Upon entering I was struck by its imposing appearance, panelled walls with intricate wood carvings lined the vicinity while a set of cast-iron columns beset the servery with an impressively high bar-back. Originally built as a hotel in 1883, from 1887 it became a pub and most of the design features hail from this period. Upon scanning the distinct 360-degree bar counter, I found a quote on the wall claiming that the counter was designed by artist M.C. Escher, and at 125ft long it is noted for being the longest continuous bar counter in the country. Initially I was sceptical that Escher could have designed such a thing, but it has been noted that some parts of the rear bar area were renovated during the interwar period, so it’s possible the bar counter was also updated during this period. Around London there are a number of pubs that date from around the late 19th century that feature commissioned artworks and architectural features like tiling and decorative mirrors which were contracted from independent artists or prominent design firms; their story is equally as intriguing as the drinking palaces they feature in.  

Paintings are often the first thing that comes to mind, like the two portraits of Punch and Judy that reside over the entrance area of The Punch Tavern in Fleet Street. Designed by W.B. Simpson (whom also produced the tilework), it was a nod to the pub’s connection as a popular drinking establishment with staff members from the nearby offices at Punch Magazine. Many of these commissioned artworks were installed during the initial construction of these buildings, such as The Scottish Stores, Kings Cross which features a set of four coloured lithographs by Cecil Aldin set into frames of the panelling, which were added during the building of the pub in 1900. These lithographs feature scenes from a fox hunt, in a collection dubbed 'The Fallowfield Hunt'. Tilework is another key feature that emerged from pubs produced during the late Victorian period, W.J. Neatby (chief ceramics designer for Doulton) was responsible for designing tilework for a number of buildings around London, including The Fox & Anchor, Farringdon where the exterior tiling boasts a florrid design strongly influenced by Art Nouveau, topped off with a coloured faience bearing the likeliness of a fox and anchor within the upper gable. He was also responsible for designing the titled panels at St. James Tavern, Westminster; where four of the tiles illustrate various scenes from Shakespeare plays while a further two feature illustrations of hops and grape vines. Similarly, the Tabard, Turnham Green features intricate tiling designs, on the over-mantles there are illustrations by Walter Crane and William de Morgan that feature various lines from well-known nursey rhymes including ‘Little Bo Peep’ and ‘Sing-a-Song of Sixpence’, both artists were leading figures in the Arts & Crafts Movement and worked with William Morris. Occasionally there are design features that are less obvious to the eye, such as the series of four copper panels at The Black Lion, Kilburn, designed by F.A. Colcott, these depict ladies and gentlemen at leisure. Moreover, the elaborate iron-work gate that spans the entrance at the Great Northern Railway Tavern, Hornsey was produced by local firm Jones and Willis Art Metal Works, at the time their Eagle Works site was located directly opposite the pub. Decorative mirrors are another common feature among late Victorian pubs, such as The Flying Horse, Mayfair, there are three paintings that date from c.1892-3 by Felix de Jong & Co that feature ladies representing the seasons of Spring, Summer and Autumn, though a fourth (Winter) is believed to be lost. Over at the Lord Nelson, Bermondsey there are a number of florid mirrors produced by James Carter that date from 1888, though pride of place is the large and gilded mirror on the barback, at the centre is a painting showing Nelson accepting the surrender of the Spanish forces following the Battle of Cape Vincent in 1797. Likewise, at the Bunch of Grapes, Knightsbridge; there are a set of back painted mirrors by W. James from c.1890, one in the left-hand lobby which depicts grapes hanging from a vine adorned with flowers, another four on the left-hand wall showing illustrations of birds and various types of vegetation; in the former public bar there a mixture of half and full-sized plain wall mirrors with a simple design round the edges. As this pub was formerly divided into several areas, these mirrors would have denoted the varying differences in wall decoration within the public and saloon bars respectively. Conversely in more contemporary times, there have been instances of commissioned artistic features such as the stained-glass windows at The Champion, Fitzrovia which were designed by Ann Southeran in 1989 that feature illustrations of 19^th century luminaries like Florence Nightingale, W.G. Grace and David Livingston; moreover, at the Warrington, Maida Vale on the back wall and above the servery there are Art Nouveau-style paintings by Colin Beswick from 1965 that depict a group of naked ladies during the days when this building was supposedly a brothel. More recently in 2022, following extensive renovations at The Audley, Mayfair, it featured original artworks by Martin Creed and Rodney Graham, while on the ceiling above the bar there is colourful abstract collage by Phyllida Barlow comprising of brightly coloured pieces of paper. 

Around London, there is a cornucopia of intricate and innovative artistic design features produced by a slew of artists and design firms from painted murals, elaborate tilework designs, embellished mirrors, stained glass windows and ceiling frescos for instance. Yet these artworks aren’t housed in art galleries or private collections, these are displayed in full public view within the roster of historic and well-preserved pubs dotted around the capital. These artworks also offer a window into the past and help highlight the fact that these drinking establishments were intentionally designed and constructed to a high architectural merit, equal to some of London’s grandest buildings.