The Old Bank of England, London Pub Review

The Old Bank of England, London

Posted on 08. Jul, 2010 by Robert Gale in Pubs

The Old Bank of England

The Old Bank of England is a Fullers-owned pub located on Fleet Street near the western limit of the City of London.

Brief History and Interior

The Old Bank of England occupies the site of the an old branch of the Bank of England. The building was erected in 1888 and traded there for 87 years as the Law Courts’ branch until 1975 when the premises were sold to a building society.

Prior to 1888, two taverns stood on the site. The Cock and the Haunch of Venison dated back to the 16th and 17th centuries. The Cock still exists today – it moved across the street after being demolished in 1887. A fireplace and overmantel from the original pub still exist in the current pub.

Fullers purchased the building in 1994 and began a major refurbishment with the aim of restoring the building to its former glory. They did a fantasic job and the lavish interior is simply stunning. There are murals, large columns, an ornate plaster ceiling, three large brass chandeliers and at the centre a grand bar that looks so tall that you would need a ladder to reach the top shelves.

There is a gallery seating area along one side of the pub that allows you to get a great view of the pub and see some of the features in greater detail.

The Beer

The full range of Fullers beer is availble such as London Pride, ESB, Chiswick, Honey Dew and London Porter. 1845, Golden Pride and Vintage Ale are also available in bottles. And being an ‘Ale & Pie House’, they sell a full food menu including the usual pub grub.

Visiting the Pub

Being located on Fleet Street the pub can get busy. It’s only open Monday to Friday but I’m sure I saw a council notice outside the pub back in April 2010 listing an application to open on the weekend.

More Photos of the Old Bank of England

Venue Location

The Old Bank of England

194 Fleet Street

London

EC4A 2LT

Tel: 020 7430 2255

www.twb.im/oldbankofengland

View on Google Street View

Robert Gale (Twitter: @awv)

Beer Taster, Pub Attendee, Photo Taker

Robert Gale likes beer, pubs and beer festivals. He also likes to take photos of beer, pubs and beer festivals. Most weekends of the year you can find him travelling around the UK (and sometimes beyond) photographing and reviewing good quality pubs and beer festivals. He also has a day job in the form of a web developer for Ozum.