Towards the end of March I decided to pay a nostalgic visit to the pubs along Union Street: that is, more or less, to walk from Waterloo to London Bridge. This is a run that I used to do some years ago when I worked at Norwood Junction; if I came home via London Bridge I would perhaps visit these pubs. For this trip I did it in the reverse direction starting at the Waterloo end.
This made the first port of call the Ring, which sits on the corner of Blackfriars Road and the Cut. It is a four storey building with the pub name and a picture of a boxer on its curved corner. Inside there is one open bar area with a two sided angled bar. It is quite simply furnished, with a wood floor, dark pink upholstered benches along two sides but with rather unusual single tables, and old style chairs to match. Around the pale green walls there are many pictures with a boxing theme. The original Blackfriars Ring was situated opposite but was destroyed during the blitz. This pub was rebuilt with a gym and ring upstairs, like the original. When I came here 14 years ago I had the choice of London Pride or Adnams bitter at £2.60. Now the range has expanded somewhat to Doom Bar, Pedigree, 3 Sods Mon Cheri, Leap Year and Watney’s (from Sambrook’s I believe). A pint now costs £4.60 but it was good.
When crossing Blackfriars Road to Union Street, look up for the dog with its head in a pot! A few hundred yards along Union Street is the Lord Nelson, a rather square looking brick pub decorated with a lot of flowery painting above the covered outdoor seating area. Inside it is equally quirky with almost every inch of wall space covered with colourful posters and pictures and there is even a large picture of Nelson himself. Halfway along is an L-shaped bar, which leads on to a rear seating area. The tables and seating are not surprisingly rather an eclectic mix; the floor is black slate but with a very jazzy carpet in the centre. There are various flags and oddments hanging from the ceiling. The ale range was a little limited with only Five Points Pale available at £4.40, but it was very good.
Further down on the other side of Union Street is the Charlotte, with its entrance located underneath the railway arches. The pub name is painted in black and white on the brickwork, and going in through the arched entrance and along the wide approach I came to the bar towards the rear. This is a new pub to me; all rather upmarket with prices reflecting this. It has a wood tiled floor, low seating to the left and high to the right, with more seating along the entrance.
There are large drapes looking like old Union flags and along the entrance there are quirky animal pictures on the walls. Above the bar there are some very ornate chandeliers, and butterflies decorate the walls. At the bar there were three handpumps, but only one was on, serving Wimbledon XXB. The other pumps had clips for other Wimbledon beers turned around. A pint of the XXB was a round fiver but it was good. By now it had started to get busy, so time to move on.
Next was the UJ (Union Jack), a three storey brick building on the corner with Great Suffolk Street. Some years ago the pub was faced inside and out with lots of old doors of various colours but that’s all gone now. I found the current décor rather dark and uninspiring and not very warm; I was not the only person to think this. It did not appear to discourage customers however. The small bar is towards the front, which at one end leads to a raised seating area and to the other side a carpeted lounge with upholstered benches, settees, chairs and tables. Quirky pictures, photos and a large mirror decorate the green walls. Even though there were people in, I felt there was definitely something lacking. At the bar there was Tim Taylor Landlord and Marston’s 61 Deep. I had an average pint of 61 Deep at £4.60.
I continued to what is now Mc & Sons. In 1992 this was the Red Lion and in 2005 the Charles Dickens. The front of the pub is shop width but inside it goes back a long way, with the bar on the right hand side. The décor is old style wood, with a wood floor and wall panelling, with the walls covered with lots of old framed photos. When I came here in 2005 there were three ales from Grand Union (who remembers Grand Union?) and three from Adnams at £2.50 a pint. I recall it being quiet then but this time it was
anything but, so I would gather that the current owners are doing something right. There were only two real ales available: Hogs Back TEA and ‘Watney’s’ Party Seven, now costing £4.60 and it was very good. The Thai kitchen here seems very popular and there was an Irish band playing. This certainly is the pub to go to around here.
Continuing towards London Bridge and past the site of the Jolly Gardeners (not so jolly now – demolished!) I was aiming for the Rose & Crown on the corner of Ayres St but it was not open, although it has not closed down. To finish the session I headed to the Rake in Borough Market for a pint of something good, like African Blackberry Stout from Cocksure Brewery. It was served too cold for my liking which is a shame because normally the ales here are very good. Then it was time to head to Waterloo and home after an interesting evening out.
Clive Taylor