Over the years I have probably visited most pubs in SE1 but there was one that I had missed and it is in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide! It’s easy enough to get to but for some reason, I have never got to it. This is the Libertine (formerly the Skinners Arms) in Great Suffolk Street near the Borough.
I decided to put this right one January afternoon and visit one or two other pubs at the same time.
I took the train to Waterloo then walked towards the Old Vic, taking the side road where I knew there was a pub called the Stage Door which I had been to eleven years ago. So, turning into Webber Street, I could see a bright illuminated sign saying ‘Stage Door’. Not far to go then, but no; it was actually a sign for the stage door to the theatre. Never mind, the pub was on the next corner.
This three storey, flat roofed brick building has white surrounds to the windows and the pub front painted black. It is a sizeable pub with a centre square bar but there were only two or three customers in. It was all very green and blue in different shades, with a bare wood floor and a mixture of seating, including upholstered and wooden benches. Above the black fireplace was a large clear mirror. I had the choice of three ales, Doom Bar, Tribute and Purity Mad Goose. I went for that one at £4.90 and it was very good. When I last came here in 2011 I had Adnams Broadside at £3.50 and that had been good too.
Continuing in the same direction, passing the site of the Bell (demolished) and the General Abercrombie (now offices), I crossed over Blackfriars Road and Southwark Bridge Road to Great Suffolk Street where the Winchester used to stand. Halfway along was the Libertine, standing on a corner. From a distance I was not sure whether it was open because it seemed to be in darkness. There were no lights on outside and only when I got closer was there a glimmer of light to be seen inside. It is also a three storey flat roofed brick building but this time with a brown tiled frontage. The pub is of a fair size, with the bar running along the left hand side. Around the bar the floor was of wood but the seating areas were carpeted. The black walls made it all rather dark, with wood panelled walls which were varnished rather than painted. The white ceiling helped lighten it a little. There was a mixture of seating, mainly wooden chairs and tables. On a raised corner at the front was a dartboard and around the wall was an interesting mural. On enquiring, I was told it depicts heaven, hell and purgatory. To the rear was a black fireplace with a clear mirror above. All quite atmospheric, with its Victorian lighting and lampshades, plus a flat anaconda on the wall! There were three ales available and, using my torch to read the pump clips, I found they were Harvey’s Best and, all the way from Kingston, Park Brewery’s Isabella plus the one I went for, Brick’s Peckham Pale. At £4.70, this was very good. The bar staff were very friendly and offered me tasters. By now it was half past five and the pub was getting busier as people finished work. A good GBG pub and well worth a visit.
On leaving, I crossed over Borough High Street and headed along Long Lane to see what else I could find, possibly passing the George and the site of Valentines. Taking a left past the old leather exchange, around the corner I found a little Fuller’s pub, the Leather Exchange. In recent years, for some reason, the name had been changed to the Jugglers Arms but Fuller’s changed it back to its original name. I had been here in 1993 and 2011 when the London Pride cost £3.50. It is a small fronted pub with cream stone window surrounds and inside it was equally small. It has a high ceiling, a small horseshoe shaped bar, a light wood floor, pale green walls and a dark green ceiling with one ornate supporting pillar. There was a mixture of seating from settees and benches to high chairs. Again there was an impressive gold framed mirror. Every pub around here seems to have one. I was asked to take a seat because it was table service only. There was only London Pride available, at £5.20, but I was given a complimentary bottle of water. Payment was by card only. Once again, the beer was very good and the pub quite busy.
Next I continued down Bermondsey Street, passing the Woolpack and what was the Yorkshire Grey, now called the Garrison. Going right under the railway bridge I thought about heading to the Dean Swift which has always been worth a visit in the past. However, just under the bridge, I saw a place called Hop Kingdom. I thought it was the Southwark Tap and so I decided to give it a go but, on approaching the bar, it was keg only. I later found out that the Southwark Tap was actually further along. Carrying on, crossing over Tower Bridge Rd, I passed what had been one of the Draft House pubs, now a BrewDog outlet called the Tower Bridge Arms. I quickly found the Dean Swift, which is tucked away around the corner. It is a two storey corner pub, previously called the Bricklayers and had been closed for twenty years.
Inside, it was busy, with a small bar in a back corner. There was a varnished wood floor, high wood wall panelling painted green, with cream upper parts and ceiling. Surrounding the Victorian fireplace was some nice tilework and above was the obligatory gold framed clear mirror. There was also a second one to the rear. The seating was the usual mixture of high and low. At the bar, there were just two ales on. One, not surprisingly, came from Southwark, called Mayflower, and the other from Moor of Bristol, called Resonance. I went for that at £4.50 and, once again, it was very good.
I thought that this would do for the day but, returning to Waterloo, I always find the Waterloo Tap rather tempting. Yes, why not, just to finish off. I went for a Hammerton’s N7 (5.2% ABV) at £4.20. A bargain, and, once again, very good. Quite an amazing afternoon overall, with every beer that I had being in excellent condition and only one costing over £5. Well worth my visit to SE1.
Clive Taylor