Located along the River Thames in the Southwark area of London, it was from this site that famous diarist, Samuel Pepys, witnessed the Great Fire of London destroy most of the city in 1666. He wrote in his personal diary that he took refuge in ‘a little alehouse in bankside…and there watched the fire grow’. Built in 1615, the site of The Anchor Bankside has a rich and varied past. It was once used as a Roman grave, plague pits, a brothel, and a chapel. Throughout history, The Anchor has entertained a wealth of notable patrons including Pepys, William Shakespeare, and Dr. Samuel Johnson (author of the definitive English Dictionary). Today, the Anchor Bankside is a traditional British pub serving cask ales and freshly cooked traditional pub food.
- The Anchor Bankside
- 34 Park Street, Southwark, London SE1 9EF
- www.taylor-walker.co.uk
- Underground: London Bridge