Blackfriar's Pub is the first British Pub Blasterz visited when we were in London. After a long jet-lagged day, the Older Blasterz needed a pint and the Younger Blasterz wanted some fish and chips!
This pub is an amazing feast for the eyes, as well as the soul (English ale!) and the body (delicious fish & chips). It's one of the most richly decorated pubs we visited in our 2 weeks in London, with beautiful mosaics and chimeras inside and out.
On the west side of the pub at the beer garden, we spotted a small historic marker that reads as follows:
"Nicholson’s
Est. 1873
THE BLACK FRIAR
This art-nouveau masterpiece sits on the site of a former Dominican priory which existed from 1279 to 1539. Following the 260 years of the Dominican friars, the site became the Parliament of the Monastery.
It is believed that Emperor Charles V, the Papal Magistrate and Henry VII’s court sat on this very site during the dissolution of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon in 1532.
The Black Friar has been a favourite watering hole for many since the ‘merry monks’ first settled on this site.
Its unusual shape is due to the fact that all the surrounding buildings have long since been demolished, taking with them the small alleyways that were once the only access to the pub.
This wonderful pub was due for demolition in the sixties, but the public outcry led by Sir John Betjeman and Lady Dartmouth saved the building."
From the Blackfriar's website: (
visit link)
"WELCOME TO THE BLACKFRIAR
FAMOUS FOR BEING SAVED FROM DEMOLITION BY SIR JOHN BETJEMAN
You will find The Blackfriar in Blackfriars London within a short stroll of Blackfriars Bridge, Upper Thames Street and Fleet Street - however you won't find another like it.
Step in to discover a traditional pub of unique character, revered for its eclectic range of real ales and its quality pub food, which are served, as they should be, with a generous measure of famous British hospitality.
A FASCINATING PAST
Our historic Art Nouveau Grade II masterpiece of a pub was built in 1905 on the site of a Dominican friary. The building was designed by architect H. Fuller-Clark and artist Henry Poole, both committed to the free-thinking of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Jolly friars appear everywhere in the pub in sculptures, mosaics and reliefs. We are lucky to still be here as our wonderful pub was saved from demolition by a campaign led by Sir John Betjeman.
ONE OF A KIND
The Blackfriar is one of many rare gems in the Nicholson's collection of great British pubs, reputed for their distinctive buildings, intriguing history and vibrant atmosphere."