Tony took us on yet another pub tour/crawl, this time in Wapping, which is along the river in southeast London. This area used to be pretty sketch back in the day with lots of smugglers, pubs, and brothels. Today it's actually a pretty cool part of town with all the warehouses converted into modern buildings - yet a few old pubs remain. The first is The Prospect of Whitby.
This pub dates back to the time of King Henry VIII (around 1520) and has been a meeting place for sailors ever since. It is also said to be the place where Charles Dickens got the inspiration for the pub featured in his classic novel "Our Mutual Friend." The area of Wapping is also thought to be the setting for Oliver Twist as well. Outside the pub there is a list of every King and Queen who has reigned since the pub opened.
Elizabeth & I hanging out in the pub.
The next pub we went to was The Captain Kidd. Captain Kidd was one of Britain's most infamous pirate, or as Tony would put, the Johnny Depp of Pirates of the Caribbean. He was hung here in 1701 (there was even a noose in the back just for looks). When someone was hung, they would obviously tie a rope around the person's neck, but the other end was tied to a horse. They whipped the horse to get him to run off and I think you know what happens next. After Captain Kidd's body hung for 3 tides, they tarred his body and displayed it along the river to deter bad people from coming into London.
The final pub we visited was the Mayflower. It was built in 1550 and formerly known as The Shippe. It was here, from the jetty at the back of the pub, that Captain Christopher Jones set sail in 1620 to collect the Pilgrims and sail to America. Supposedly some of the wood inside the pub is original wood from the Mayflower.
This pub dates back to the time of King Henry VIII (around 1520) and has been a meeting place for sailors ever since. It is also said to be the place where Charles Dickens got the inspiration for the pub featured in his classic novel "Our Mutual Friend." The area of Wapping is also thought to be the setting for Oliver Twist as well. Outside the pub there is a list of every King and Queen who has reigned since the pub opened.
Elizabeth & I hanging out in the pub.
The next pub we went to was The Captain Kidd. Captain Kidd was one of Britain's most infamous pirate, or as Tony would put, the Johnny Depp of Pirates of the Caribbean. He was hung here in 1701 (there was even a noose in the back just for looks). When someone was hung, they would obviously tie a rope around the person's neck, but the other end was tied to a horse. They whipped the horse to get him to run off and I think you know what happens next. After Captain Kidd's body hung for 3 tides, they tarred his body and displayed it along the river to deter bad people from coming into London.
The final pub we visited was the Mayflower. It was built in 1550 and formerly known as The Shippe. It was here, from the jetty at the back of the pub, that Captain Christopher Jones set sail in 1620 to collect the Pilgrims and sail to America. Supposedly some of the wood inside the pub is original wood from the Mayflower.
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