A Wapping Riverside Pub Crawl

A Thirsty Search for London's Oldest Riverside Pub or What's With All the Nooses?

I was last in London at the end of July 2013. When I visit my Mum in Suffolk, I’ve learned that getting a hotel room in Heathrow the night before my flight back home spares me an enormous amount of stress. I make sure I check in early enough to have a full afternoon and evening available to head into town by tube and explore. It adds about an hour on the tube each way to my plans, but its worth it.

Last July I decided to check out the oldest riverside pub in London, the Prospect of Whitby after reading about it, and the Wapping area, in a newspaper travel section.

I got off the tube at Tower Hill and bypassed most of the crowds, walked under the Tower Bridge Road and onto St. Katherine’s Way. Heading straight to the water, I immediately came to St. Katherine’s Pier with terrific views of Tower Bridge. There is a lovely girl and dolphin fountain here. I also got my first good look at the newly completed Shard.

As I strolled east I hugged the river as much as I could following the "Thames Path" signposts. At points the path or road will push you inland but bear right when you can and you’ll be fine. Once past the Docklands (apartments converted from warehouses), I continued on St. Katherine’s Way and at the roundabout bore right onto Wapping High Street.

There are many opportunities to get away from the road and nearer the river as a pedestrian. If you see a passageway towards the river, check it out, even if it looks private. There are a couple of small riverfront parks that are nice places to sit and enjoy the Thames view. I continued down Wapping High Street to where it curves left away from the river and took the first right on Wapping Wall. The Prospect of Whitby is just a small distance along at the next curve of the road.

The walk without stopping would take about 30 minutes, but I'm sure with all my stopping to view the Thames, taking photos and gawking at the buildings and signposts, I turned it into an enjoyable hour and a half meander. My goal was The Prospect of Whitby, but this being England I passed a couple of other pubs on the way and made the decision to pub crawl my way back.

1. Prospect of Whitby (57 Wapping Wall)
   According to their website this is "London's oldest riverside pub dating back to 1520".
   
   Formerly the "Devil's Tavern", a popular haunt of sailers and pirates, it was rebuilt and renamed after a fire gutted it in the 18thC. You’ll immediately notice the uneven and original flagstone floor, but also check out the rare pewter bar. This is a pub soaked in history and character, from the wooden furniture and beams to the photos on the walls; it deserves a walk through the whole place, which given its popularity you might need anyways in order to find a table. This is where Turner painted the Thames and both Dickens and Pepys drank.
   
   Seating is packed in upstairs and down creating many nooks, each inviting in their own way. In nice weather there is an outdoor terrace and balconies to enjoy. Be sure to have a look out back for the noose hanging over the Thames in honour of one of its famous customers, "Hanging" Judge Jeffreys. On the Thames side, the terrace wall itself is seating and faces inwards so you can't really enjoy the view, so I found a table on the ground floor facing the wall of multi-paned windows and a great river view. Sat alone at a table that could seat 4, unfortunately I didn't feel like I could relax and take my time with so many customers walking through. One quick drink and I was heading back.
   
   Best for: history, character, the noose over the Thames, food.
   Worst for: finding a seat.
    
2. Captain Kidd (108 Wapping High Street)
   Nowhere near the history of the other two pubs I stopped in, this was converted from an old warehouse in the 1980s.
   
   But they did an amazing job. It has lots of character, particularly the inner courtyard at the entrance. Its brick ground and walls are lined with wooden stairs on one side and greenery on the other. Hanging above the entrance from an iron balcony is a noose aluding, no doubt, to the grisly end the pub's namesake met with in 1701 at the Wapping Execution Dock.
   
   The spacious, riverside terrace is perfect for a cool drink on a warm summer evening, and I took my time soaking in the Thames air and checking my emails on my phone at one of the picnic tables. I may have had two.
   
   Best for: cheap beer, riverside beer garden; entry courtyard, younger crowd.
   Worst for: food, history.
    
3. Town of Ramsgate (62 Wapping High Street)
   Their website also proclaims them "the oldest pub on the River Thames" and backs it up by saying "the first pub on the site probably originated during the Wars of the Roses in the 1460s and was called "The Hostel"."
   
   Then in 1533 it was called the "Red Cow", supposedly because a barmaid there had red hair. As a sometimes crabby barmaid myself, I sympathize and chuckle over this often unspoken love/hate customer/bartender relationship. Despite the awesome tidbit, I found this pub underwhelming after my other stops. The room is long and narrow, with a small, cramped patio out the back. Maybe I was just being a red cow because the bartender didn't know to shake the pineapple juice box before adding it to my malibu.
   
   Best for: drinking with the locals.
   Worst for: a view of the Thames (compared to the other two); tired, hodge-podge decor.

As you leave don’t miss the Wapping Old Stairs just to the right of the pub down a passageway. It has been used to access the river since the 18C, including by fisherman from Ramsgate unloading their catch to avoid the taxman up the river. I like to think the name was chosen by a sycophantic pub owner desperately trying to drum up business.

It's here that at low tide condemned pirates were chained to a post to drown when the tide rose. The exact location of the Wapping Execution Dock is debated, but thought to be close by the stairs. This is where Captain Kidd was hanged - twice - the first rope snapped!

Final notes

• None of the barmen and barmaids who served me had british accents. I suspect being a bartender in London is less a desirable career and more a job of necessity for newcomers.
• Check the Tide Tables as you plan your visit. I hit high tide so missed being able to walk down to the rocky riverfront, and see the pubs from their Thames side.