The George Inn - George Inn Yard, Borough High Street, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 30.255 W 000° 05.403
30U E 701949 N 5709917
The George Inn was established in the medieval period and is still standing today. It is to be found down a small alley that leads to the George Inn Yard on the south east side of Borough High Street.
Waymark Code: WMT6XA
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/05/2016
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Dragontree
Views: 2

There are three information plaques near the George Inn.

The first is a metal plaque close to the entrance to the George Inn Yard that is worded:

Historic Southwark

In the courtyard at the rear of this
building is the George - London's only
galleried inn. Immortalized by
Charles Dickens in "Little Dorrit"

Another sign, on a wall opposite the George Inn, is worded:

The National Trust
The George Inn

It is known that the George Inn existed in
the late 16th century although the present
building dates from 1677. Both Shakespeare
and Dickens knew the hospitality of the inn
which has continued right up to the present day.
The inn is now owned by the National Trust

The third sign is painted directly on to one of the entrance gates to the George Inn Yard that reads:

Records of this coaching inn date back to 1542
although the current building dates back to
1676 when it was rebuilt following a devastating fire.
During 1874 the north range was pulled down,
however, thakfully the southern range has survived
to be London's last galleried coaching inn.
William Shakespeare often frequented the inn,
as did the novelist Charles Dickens who referred to
The George in his novel Little Dorrit.

Wikipedia has an article about the George Inn that advises:

The George, or George Inn, is a public house established in the medieval period on Borough High Street in Southwark, London. Currently owned and leased by the National Trust, it is located about 250 m from the south side of the River Thames near London Bridge. It is the only surviving galleried London coaching inn. The first map of Southwark (Duchy of Lancaster ca1543) clearly shows it marked as 'Gorge'. It was formerly known as the George and Dragon, named after the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. It is by far the oldest pub in London.

In 1677 the George was rebuilt after a serious fire that destroyed most of medieval Southwark. There had been many such inns in this part of London. Probably the most famous was The Tabard where, in 1388, Chaucer began The Canterbury Tales. The Tabard was also rebuilt after the same fire, but was demolished in the late 19th century.

Later, the Great Northern Railway used the George as a depot and pulled down two of its fronts to build warehousing. Now just the south face remains.

The George was one of the many famous coaching inns in the days of Charles Dickens. Dickens in fact visited the George and referred to it in Little Dorrit. It is thought that the galleried inns were the inspiration of the original theatres, that the Players were on a dais in the courtyard with the standing audience next to them and that those paying a premium would be in the galleries with a better view.

The ground floor of the inn is divided into a number of connected bars. The Parliament Bar used to be a waiting room for passengers on coaches. The Middle Bar was the Coffee Room, which was frequented by Charles Dickens. The bedrooms, now a restaurant, were upstairs in the galleried part of the building.

It is one of only two coaching inns to survive in Greater London, and is the only galleried example. The White Hart is immediately to the north, and the site of The Tabard immediately to the south (now Talbot Yard). The building is Grade I listed, and is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors.

Type of Historic Marker: Metal plaque and wood

Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Southwark Council

Age/Event Date: 01/01/1542

Related Website: [Web Link]

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