On Saturday 13th August, members of the Society spent a very sunny afternoon exploring historic pubs on the river Thames with Blue Badge Tourist Guide Caroline Piper. The heatwave meant Caroline had to cut some of the pubs she had planned to include in order to adopt a more relaxed pace (with more sitting and drinking time!) but we still sampled 3 wonderfully atmospheric historic pubs, and explored 3 hugely contrasting neighbourhoods, from the steel and glass of Canary Wharf to Georgian Limehouse, and lastly the Victorian warehouses of Wapping. The sun sparkled on the river and provided a beautiful backdrop to our walking, drinking and relaxing.
For those who want to recreate some of the afternoon:
- You could copy Admiral Nelson and visit The Gun by Blackwall Basin on the Isle of Dogs, with stunning views of the Millennium Dome.
- Follow Charles Dickens and make your way to The Grapes in Limehouse
- Think of smugglers as you enjoy a drink at The Prospect of Whitby in Wapping, and avert your eyes from the hangman’s noose on the beach in front of the pub!
The photo shows the Anthony Gormley statue in the river Thames at Limehouse – it was very hot, but no one was stupid enough to jump in the Thames!
Organised by Caroline Piper