The first pub we entered, on my recent visit to London, was The Dove, 19 Upper Mall, Hammersmith W6 9TA (website), a Fuller's house (website), although Fuller's is now effectively a pubco as the Japanese brewing giant Asahi now own the close by in Chiswick Griffin Brewery (website). This is a place I have frequented over many years now, as have, and had, many famous people, notably, it is believed, Charles II and his mistress Nell Gwyn before it became a pub, the poet James Thompson who reportedly wrote the words for Rule Britannia here, Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, and a hero of mine, William Morris, who lived a few doors along to the west at number 26 Upper Mall, in Kelmscott House, where The William Morris Society is now situated (website), which is well worth a visit when they are open, which, before the pandemic, was 12-5pm Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, but it may be worth telephoning beforehand to check at 020 8741 3735. The building became a Coffee Shop in the early 18th century and a pub by the 1790s, it was originally called The Doves.
Anyway, to current times, and our visit, a Fuller's house as I said above, and a pub where you will always get a good pint of London Pride, and we weren't let down this time either. We stayed for a couple of pints and, coincidentally, a friend of mine who lives in Sheffield, Will, turned up about 5 minutes after us, so we had a good chat with him for a while too (he was in London for a few days on a 'pub crawl' he had set up for himself), it's a small world! Anyway, if you don't know the pub, it has a great atmosphere, food with a good reputation further back, a great balcony overlooking the River Thames for warmer days/evenings, and the smallest bar in the world (Guinness Book of Records) in the wee snug to the right of the door as you first enter the pub.
Teddington Lock
The next day we caught a bus to Kingston to walk back along the Thames Path to Putney, and on our way back we passed Teddington Lock where, just by that smaller hut in the mid distance (we couldn't get over to it, although I have in days past!), was the famous Fish Slapping Dance, courtesy of Monty Python (YouTube), we didn't partake, obviously, as closed off...
We stopped off in Richmond for lunch at The White Cross, Riverside House, Water Lane TW9 1TH (website), a 19th century Young's house, and another pubco, sadly, that used to brew their own beer (in Wandsworth), but now brewed in Bedford by Charles Wells (website). We did a bit of meal sharing, with an extra portion of chips, and Dan drank the traditional Young's Special, but they also had a guest ale from Twickenham Brewery (website), their 4.4% Naked Ladies, which is named after statues in York House Gardens in Twickenham. So I drank a pint of this, a hoppy, pale golden bitter, brewed with Herkules, Celeia and wonderful Chinook hops, big flavour and lovely dry bitter finish, cheers!
We stayed on the South Bank (or Surrey side, as often mentioned on Boat Race Day, as the river bends significantly, indeed, at The White Cross, you are on the Surrey side but look southwards across the river!) all the way now...
The photograph above is looking over to Isleworth, with the church on the right and the 18th century London Apprentice pub in Isleworth (website) on the left of the image, well, we didn't swim over for a drink, but worth noting here. There had been a pub on the site since Tudor times, at least, and had visits from Henry VIII and Charles I when they were at nearby Syon House (website). The pub is named after the great petitioners of the early 17th century, the London Apprentices, who, following the defeat of Parliamentary forces, the capture of Syon House, and the ransacking of Brentford by Royalist forces under the leadership of Prince Rupert on the 12th of November 1642, joined with other London traders and workers, and Parliamentary troops, to hold off the Royalist force at the Battle of Turnham Green on the next day. This was effectively a stalemate, but the Royalist force withdrew and never entered London, which may have seen the Civil War have a very different outcome. Another historical fact is that from the Isleworth Stairs below the pub, Lady Jane Grey boarded the Royal Barge in 1553 to accept the English Throne, only to be imprisoned in the Tower of London after just 9 days, hence the Nine Days Queen.
Anyway, a bit further eastwards and we reached Mortlake, the destination of the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race, although there isn't much room in this pub on that day! The Ship, 10 Thames Bank SW14 7QR (website) is a late 18th century pub, now owned by Greene King (website), and situated next to the now defunct Mortlake Brewery. It has a few great things about it outside of Race Day, great views east and west, decent food, sells interesting guest ales, and CAMRA members get 10% off the price of ale! And the rather pleasant ale we drank was another from Twickenham Brewery (website), their 3.9% Summer Down Under, brewed with Australian and New Zealand hops, Galaxy and Pacific Jade. A very pale, very dry and bitter ale, with big grapefruit citrus aroma and taste, gorgeous!
I'm rather pleased with how this photograph of Hammersmith Bridge turned out with the lighting, the sun reflecting on the buildings opposite nearly made it impossible, except for from where I eventually took it. Built nearly 200 years ago, it is one of my favourite bridges over the River Thames, and has survived an Irish Republican attempt to blow it up in 1939, and 2 more attempts since! After the third bombing in 2000, restoration was carried out, but structural problems saw its closure to traffic in 2019, and now you can walk or cycle over it only, but a nice way to cross the Thames indeed, as we had done on the previous evening to reach The Dove.
Cheers!
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