Dog and Duck (tavern)

Dog and Duck
The Dog and Duck painted by Thomas H. Shepherd in the 19th century, based on a 1646 drawing. Shepherd specialised in painting old London buildings before they were demolished.
General information
Status	Demolished
Location	St George's Fields
Coordinates	51°29′44″N 0°6′31″W / 51.49556°N 0.10861°W / 51.49556; -0.10861
Construction started	1642 or earlier
Demolished	1812

The Dog and Duck was a tavern built upon St George's Fields in London in the 17th century. It was named after the sport of duck-baiting, that took place in adjacent wetland. In the 18th century its gardens were used as a spa but, by the 1770s, with spas no longer fashionable, it declined into a rowdy location for concerts. The magistrates refused to renew its licence, despite protracted legal disputes, and it closed in 1799. The building was then used as a School for the Indigent Blind and demolished in 1812, when the new Bethlem Hospital was built upon the site. That building is now used by the Imperial War Museum.

The sport of duck baiting was commonplace in England and taverns sprung up nearby to provide refreshment. Fritz Endell wrote, "Another not less cruel sport still lives in the tavern sign 'Dog and Duck.' The birds were put into a small pond and chased by dogs. Watching the frightened creatures dive to escape their pursuers constituted the chief joy of the performance."

In its St George's Fields location, the tavern was known to have existed in 1642. It was adjacent to a marshy area of ponds draining into the Neckinger brook, where the duck-baiting took place. The inn sign, dated 1716, was an oblong red moulding in stone composition showing a dog with a duck in its mouth. The left of the sign showed the badge of Bridge House Estates, the landowner. At its peak it was a very popular tavern and was marked on John Rocque's 1741–45 map and 1746 map of London.

By 1695 the area was famous for its waters and so a spa was set up. When this ceased to attract business it was abandoned but other entertainments were promoted, such as an organ and skittles.David Garrick, in his prologue to the 1774 play The Maid of the Oaks, alluded to the decline –