The George Inn, 77 Borough High Street, SE1
There are not many pubs owned by the National Trust, but the George Inn, hidden away in a courtyard off Borough High Street is London’s last remaining galleried inn.
It can be a bit touristy at times, but the long series of dark oakwood bars, dating from 1676, are a joy. What remains is about a third of the original building, which once enclosed three sides of the courtyard. Two wings were demolished, which provided an opportunity to design a surrounding ideal for devotees of council block chic. Brilliant.
The George became the coaching tavern from which Tom’s coach departs for Rugby School in the 1951 film of Tom Brown’s Schooldays.
Trivia: Charles Dickens was a patron, and mentions the pub in Little Dorrit.
Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1951, dir: Gordon Perry)
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