I'm doing this in 2 parts as we did this on 2 different days, coming at Holborn from 2 different directions, virtually South to North here, it'll be obvious as I go on. 😁 3 old favourites here and 1 new pub for me, starting off with The Blackfriar, 174 Queen Victoria Street EC4V 4EG (website), virtually under Blackfriars train station. A Grade II Listed Art Nouveau building of 1875, built on the site of a medieval Dominican Friary, and redesigned Arts & Crafts style about 30 years later. The image of the empty interior below shared with many thanks to Ann Laffeaty (London Pubs).
Impressive inside and out, with nooks and crannies galore, I loved going to this pub mostly in my teens from work with special friends. Sadly it's now a Nicholson's pub, sorry I can't remember what I used to drink here in my youth. But on my last visit I drank from Cornwall St Austell Brewery (website) their 4.5% Proper Job (5.5% in bottles, and a superb bottle-conditioned ale it is too! Blog), which I don't believe is as good as the bottle-conditioned version 😮 but it's still very agreeable. This was the brainchild of Roger Ryman, who sadly died 6 years ago R.I.P. (blog), when he joined and transformed the brewery as Head Brewer in 1999. Proper Job is brewed with Willamette (hopslist), Cascade (hopslist) and Chinook (hopslist) hops. It is a pale golden ale, with a citrus fruit aroma and taste and a dry bitter finish, and very refreshing too!
We then visited, around the corner from Ludgate Circus, The Old Bell, 95 Fleet Street EC4V 1DH, sadly another Nicholson's pub (website) that I used to visit in my teens, working very close by at that stage of my life. Grade II Listed and built in 1678 by Sir Christopher Wren to accommodate the masons who were working on re-building St Bride's Church (and other buildings damaged by the Great Fire of London in 1666, 360 years ago!); there is also a door at the back of the pub immediately opposite the church in an alley leading to Bride Lane.
When quite a few of us had lunch there in my youth, they used to sell Cask Conditioned Worthington E, and debates about whether it was the same as Draught Bass or not have abounded, but I can assure you they were 2 different ales, and Roger Protz agrees with me (website). 👍 Indeed, I last drank cask-conditioned Worthington E (4.8%), definitely not the keg version 😂 at what was then the Cask & Cutler in Sheffield about 20 years ago (now reverted to its original name the Wellington), when it was being brewed by Bass Museum Brewery in what became the Bass Museum of Brewing (no longer, thank you Coors!), and pretty decent it used to be too, very sad that it's not brewed anymore.
Anyway, this visit saw me have, from West Yorkshire brewery Timothy Taylor's (website) a pint of Boltmaker, their 4.0% Yorkshire Bitter, brewed with Fuggle (hopslist), Whitbread Golding (hopslist) and Styrian Golding (hopslist) hops. Boltmaker is dark copper coloured with a hint of citrus and darker fruits in the aroma, with malt biscuits and fruitcake to taste, finishing off with a gentle bitterness. It's a while since I've imbibed this and I still like it!
Down Fleet Street into the Strand, and behind the Law Courts towards Lincoln's Inn Fields, is The Seven Stars, 53 Carey Street WC2A 2JB (instagram) which was a new pub for us, although very well known by others it would seem! Quite a delight on the day, friendly bar staff, welcoming, and the food looked great. Dated 1602, this Grade II Listed pub unsurprisingly has a very legal theme to the decorating paraphernalia and posters hanging on the walls.
Here, I drank from the East Anglian brewery Adnams (website), their Citrus Pale Ale Ghost Ship (4.5%). As I've said before a fair few times, this is a pale sharp refreshing ale, brewed with Citra hops (hopslist), and as you would expect, it has a subtle citrus flavour and a nice refreshing dry bitter finish, also, as I've said before, in my opinion this is Adnams best ale. 👍
Crossing diagonally Lincoln's Inn Fields behind The Seven Stars and you reach Holborn, where the Princess Louise is at 208 High Holborn WC1V 7EP (website). I'm leaving more of this Grade II Listed pub to my soon to follow blog detailing a route via pubs from Holborn to Euston, but will tease you with a photograph of their famous Grade II Listed Victorian gents toilets, and there are tiles all the way down the stairs too, and I kid you not, the loos really are specifically listed! 😁
Cheers folks! 🍻
Don't forget though, that there are many things that can go wrong drinking alcohol, be aware of limits and potential physical, social, and legal factors. The drinkaware website offers advice, tools to help, where to get support and 'facts' you may not be aware of. Stay safe folks! 👌
