The George Inn, Southwark
| The George Inn | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Former names |
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| Alternative names | The George |
| General information | |
| Type | Public house |
| Address |
Borough High Street London, SE1 United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°30′15″N 0°05′24″W / 51.504182°N 0.090021°WCoordinates: 51°30′15″N 0°05′24″W / 51.504182°N 0.090021°W |
| Current tenants | Tenanted by brewery |
| Owner | National Trust |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | partly timber framed |
| Website | |
The George, or George Inn, is a public house established in the medieval period on Borough High Street in Southwark, London. Currently owned and leased by the National Trust, it is located about 250 m from the south side of the River Thames near London Bridge. It is by far the oldest pub in London. It is also notable as the only surviving galleried London coaching inn.
The first map of Southwark (Duchy of Lancaster ca1543) clearly shows it marked as 'Gorge'. It was formerly known as the George and Dragon, named after the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. There were many such inns in this part of London. Probably the most famous was The Tabard where, in 1388, Chaucer began The Canterbury Tales. In 1677 the George was rebuilt after a serious fire that destroyed most of medieval Southwark. The Tabard was also rebuilt after the same fire, but was demolished in the late nineteenth century.
It is known that galleried inns were used for Elizabethan theatrical productions (Inn-yard theatre). It is thought that the Players were on a dais in the courtyard with the standing audience next to them and that those paying a premium would be in the galleries with a better view.
Later, the Great Northern Railway used the George as a depot and pulled down two of its fronts to build warehousing. Now just the south face remains.
The George was one of the many famous coaching inns in the days of Charles Dickens. Dickens in fact visited the George and referred to it in Little Dorrit.
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Wikipedia