The Waterfront, one of the best pubs in London
The Waterfront, one of the best pubs in London
The Waterfront
Baltimore House, Juniper Drive, Wandsworth,
SW18 1TS
BEERS: Wells & Young's
A modern development offering fantastic views of Putney Bridge and Chelsea Harbour, one of the best pubs in London
London's Brewing History
As London grew as a great trade centre, so brewing increased. In the early part of the sixteenth century there were 26 large brewers in the city, though most beer drunk here was still made by publican brewers. By the seventeenth century the City of London had more than 400 taverns, with names that were still commonplace 200 years later, brewing by the Thames or close to it. Courage, Whitbread and Charrington were on the river or had their own wharfs, and became part of the growing capitalist, industrialized society that saw London brewers send their beer across the globe. It wasn't uncommon for admirals to send urgent requests to London brewers, complaining that the brewers in towns like Newcastle couldn't supply enough beer to meet the demand.
In the fourteenth century the farmers of England looked to London as the market for their grain or hops, and accordingly great warehouses were built. Barley from Hertfordshire came by boat down the River Lea while craft brought the hops up the Thames from Kent. Beer production was now on a massive scale to slake the thirst of the 700,000 people living in the London area. Beer was a vital source of carbohydrate and, because it had been boiled, it was safer to drink than water.
About the pub
The river Thames has always played an important part in the history of London. From being a busy hub for produce to be sold all over the world to being a source of entertainment when it froze over. This extract looks at one of the many riverside pubs that frequent the waters edge, providign stunning views of the capital for the punters as they sip their drinks watching London life pass by.
Built beneath a stunning property development just a few metres away from Wandsworth Bridge along the thames, it is open and airy and built on several floors, with light flooding in through the large expanse of windows. The marvel of contemporary architecture is that it often asks the question, what on earth is holding up the ceiling because the glazing seems to run unimpaired from floor to roof?
The panoramic views from the upstairs balcony stretch from Putney Bridge to Chelsea Harbour, the City and beyond, and are especially dramatic at night. The pub delivers precisely what its name says, with a large terrace outside that gets very crowded on sunny days. The food is what you'd expect from a Young's pub with fancy burgers, beer-battered fish and chips, fried sea bass and pasta dishes. In addition there are pub quiz nights, poker evenings and a jazz band once a week.
Once this area was known as Gargoyle Wharf, and was the site of a Shell oil terminal and distillery; gin was made here and the pub' address makes it quite clear what was used as a flavouring. Today the area is more upmarket and known as Battersea Reach. A property development has pushed industry aside. In 1996, before the development was built, it was the site of an eco-protest known as Pure Genius that campaigned for affordable housing. The Diggers-style protest drew its inspiration from the time after the English Civil War when the defeated king no longer owned all the land. In 1649 a group of poor and landless families in Walton-on-Thames met on St George's Hill and began cultivating some common ground. They argued that no one should go hungry while others grew rich, and that the enclosure of the land underpinned an unjust class system. IOW Travel and Leisure Fantastic Four: The Best Tourism Opportunities In India Cheap Holidays from Ireland Essay: Colonization of Ireland Enjoying Bar Mitzvah tour in Israel with an efficient tour guide Going To The Beach In Alicante Make Life Easier with Travel Jewelry Boxes for Women Why medical tourism is on the rise Step Into Kerala Tours and Explore the Splendor of Green Paradise Tour Guide in Israel- Attractions Not To Miss when you are traveling north! Looking for the best Hajj Tours for Hajj Travel Touring in Jerusalem: A Journey Of Your Life Touring Tel Aviv in exciting means