Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Southwark (Borough of)

London – Southwark (Borough of) – Sun Wharf (New JD Wetherspoon)

A new JD Wetherspoon has opened at London Bridge station in what was formerly the London Dungeons. The entrance here is the former way into the London Dungeons, which was here between 1974 and 2013. This venue is a considerable project for the pub chain and it’s open for long hours, between 06:30 and 00:30 every day of the week.

As usual, I’ll take the pub’s history from their own website:

“Next to London Bridge station’s entrance, 48–50 Tooley Street are distinctive brick arches. Until 2013 (almost 40 years), this had been The London Dungeon. The arches were occupied by importers and provision agents, whose livelihoods depended on the warehouses opposite. Many have survived (Hay’s Wharf, now Hay’s Galleria). Fenning’s Wharf and Sun Wharf were replaced (in 1984/85) by the huge No.1 London Bridge complex. During that site’s redevelopment, a Bronze Age burial mound was unearthed.”

The bar which is bright and open.

Some of the brick arches and I can see why this was a suitable place for the London Dungeons. The rooms flow into each other, I like this sort of quirky thing.

The new coffee machine and there’s only hot milk, with no jugs for the cold milk.

There’s a bank of three coffee machines.

The unique carpet.

There’s a display about the carpet and why they’ve designed this one in this manner.

The menu.

Part of the support elements that I assume stop the building from falling down. The trains are evident running above both by noise and also because things vibrate a little.

This feels like a really well designed building, there is a choice of seating styles including low and higher tables. There are quieter areas, open-plan areas and plenty of power points. The team members seemed engaged, helpful and I saw numerous positive customer service interactions. As a conversion into a pub, this is one of the best that I’ve seen.

Although the venue has only been open for a few weeks, I thought I’d see what the few online reviews posted are like so far.

“Had had a lovely evening here but sadly the dessert menu isn’t clear enough – says “vanilla ice cream” as if it’s plain but it actually comes with sauce and the staff member wouldn’t switch it for plain despite asking. It’s a scoop of ice cream! Don’t argue the toss just switch it hahahah. Sauce was horrible by the way”

The printed menu and the online menu both mention toffee sauce and Belgian chocolate sauce. And then to give the venue 1/5 after a lovely evening….

“Told off for bringing in a fully wrapped Greggs Muffin.”

Probably best not to bring in a Greggs…..

No-one has complained yet that they can’t bring their dog in, but I imagine that’ll be coming soon. Anyway, this is a large venue that has lots of little smaller areas, something forced upon the chain by the historic nature of the building. It all felt well managed to me, spotlessly clean and evidently already popular with local office workers. All rather lovely.

November 12, 2025
London – Southwark (Borough of) – Fourpure Tap Room

I’m slowly working my way through the Bermondsey Beer Mile bars, and anything close to them, which is difficult navigating the often wrong opening hours of venues. Fourpure was open, but it’s bloody hard work to find it, for anyone not sure, get close and then walk by Screwfix and then under the above bridge.

In an unusually sociable moment, I noticed three people trying to find Fourpure and so I tagged along behind them whilst we agreed it was hard to find. I’m glad I did as it’s difficult to find the door and then when we got in, it all seemed to be deserted. I found the lack of signage a bit odd, but perhaps there’s something of the thrill of the chase that the breweries want.

Enter here, which is easier to see when there are people sitting at the tables, which there weren’t when we approached it.

Inside, whilst the other three people went to look for someone and I just hung about taking photos.

The venue’s offerings are on Untappd at https://untappd.com/v/fourpure-brewing-co/1201218. There were a few guests, mostly from Magic Rock who are their sister company. There was only one darker option, which was a Fourpure beer that I’ve already had, which was slightly disappointing, but not surprising.

I’m not a huge fan of Fourpure’s beers, I always find them a bit generic and unexciting, but I ordered two beers (just as thirds) which were the only core beers in the range that I hadn’t previously tried. They tasted OK, but I wouldn’t order them again as they weren’t of any great note. I’m also not keen on calling this craft beer, as they’re owned by Lion, an enormous brewer who have poured money into new equipment here. And slowly but surely, they’ve managed to deliver something as sterile and mundane as the other brewers.

As for the taproom, it was clean and modern, with charging points dotted around the place which was handy. It was a bit cold inside, although fine for me, but there were heaters available at the press of a button for those who wanted them. The team member wasn’t rushed off her feet it’s fair to say, but she was friendly and engaging. All perfectly jolly, but it felt formulaic and like something a multi-national would build, which isn’t really what I’m looking for.

January 9, 2022
London – Southwark (Borough of) – Cloudwater Tap Room

I tried to come to the Cloudwater tap room on the Bermondsey Beer Mile last year, but it was only open as a take-away and so I got a couple of beers then for whatever hotel I was located in. However, I got the opportunity for the first time to pop in last weekend.

The beer list which is located on a chalkboard at the end of the bar. Service was warm and welcoming, with the staff member being knowledgeable about the various beer options. This felt a friendly location, all very on-trend.

This is the Canal at St. Mark’s which is Cloudwater’s own imperial IPA, coming in at 8%. This was really rather lovely, such a depth of flavour and beautifully tropical. It’s described as ‘dank’ which I wasn’t quite sure of the definition in beer terms, but apparently it’s referring to “very hoppy, cloudy IPAs”. I suppose it was dank FWIW….

But then there was something even better, the I Know You Know We Know beer, also from Cloudwater, although it’s a collaboration with the Three Chiefs Brewing Co. of Los Angeles from the beautiful state of California. This was insanely good and is one of the best beers that I’ve had, with initial hits of chocolate and fruit, but with an aftertaste of rose water which made it taste like a Turkish Delight. If that wasn’t enough there was also some raspberry in there, like a chocolate Quality Street treat. I noted that the brewery toasted my Untappd check-in to this beer when I was in the bar, perhaps they were standing nearby (not that it much matters). Definitely a world class beer in my mind, I was very pleased with this decadent treat.

The bar was moderately busy, but when a group of six men in fancy dress came in they were asked to leave, with the manager saying that fancy dress was prohibited by their licence. I think he’s right, but his comment that the group probably wouldn’t be served anywhere else on the Beer Mile didn’t turn out to be right, as they seemed to be served everywhere else. Either way, I liked the policy, a bar of this quality deserves to be revered…..

I was very pleased to get to come here at last and the quality of beers didn’t disappoint. The service was friendly, the pub was clean, it was a comfortable environment and they served me one of the best stouts that I’ve had. All really rather lovely. Cloudwater also have a tap room in Manchester and I want to go there now…..

November 11, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – Hiver Beers Taproom

This was a new location to me when meandering along the Bermondsey Beer Mile, Hiver Beer Taproom, a brewery which focuses on honey in their products. It’s located on Stanworth Street and I think is worth the slight diversion to go and visit.

Scott looks like he’s having a lovely time here….. Anyway, this photo isn’t really of him and his very bright coat, I was trying to take a photo of the bar and the interior. There’s a small upstairs area in the bar, although it was full when we visited with a group celebrating a birthday or something similar. There was just one large table left on the ground floor which was reserved, but the staff said that we could have it as it wasn’t needed for another hour or so. It’s not a large venue, but there’s some external seating as well and I usually avoid that in case bees attack me, but that might be quite appropriate here (the bees, not being attacked).

I went for the Hiver Blonde Beer and thought it was a perfectly good honey based Belgian Blonde. It’s not really a beer style that I’d particularly head towards, but I wasn’t disappointed and the honey flavour was clearly evident. Pricing was reasonable and like pretty much every venue on the Bermondsey Beer Mile, they accept cards.

It’s a pleasantly laid-back environment and I liked the engagement and enthusiasm of the staff, they were good ambassadors for the brand. For those who want to, the bar allows customers to bring their own food in from nearby takeaways to eat as well, which looking back might have been a useful option for our group.

November 11, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – The Rake

As my friend Richard was staying at a decadent hotel in London on Sunday (whilst I was in a cheap Travelodge) we thought a quick drink in a venue that we hadn’t been to before would be a good idea. This is the Rake bar located on Winchester Walk, situated next to Borough Market.

The keg and cask beer selection is visible on the DigitalPour app (which I had never heard of before, but downloaded in advance of a visit here) and also on a screen inside the bar. The location is relatively small, with just a handful of tables inside, although there are several external tables in the garden and this was relatively busy. There were a range of beer styles represented here, with a number of interested options.

The service in the bar was friendly and the staff member was knowledgeable, so that was rather lovely. The bar area with its rustic feel is in the above photo. I wasn’t convinced by the suitability of the tables though as they weren’t entirely level.

The uneven tables was a problem when a drink is poured like this (I had to use the window sill instead), although I appreciated the Goose Island glass. I went for the Anastasia’s Stout from the Ascot Brewing Company and the Infinite Cerise from Solvay Society, both of which were entirely acceptable, if not having exceptional depths of flavour.

The bar is generally well reviewed on-line, some people complaining about the pries, but I felt that they were relatively moderate given the quality of the bars and the location of the premises.

All told, I liked this venue which is located in a touristy part of London, but which had a feel of a local bar with its own community. There are also cans and bottles which add to the selection available, but there was plenty of choice with the draft options. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the decor in the bar, which seems reliant on graffiti to add character, but I suppose it’s different and quirky.

November 10, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – Original Site of Globe Theatre

I’ve walked in this area around London Bridge railway station hundreds of times, but I was never aware that the original site of the Globe Theatre is partly marked out. The theatre was first constructed in 1599, but was destroyed by fire in 1613 (a cannon misfired during a performance of Henry VIII, which wasn’t ideal), before being rebuilt in 1614. The Puritans ordered theatres to close in 1642 in case anyone might dare enjoy themselves, with the building demolished between 1644 and 1645.

That was really that for the theatre, until 1988 when construction in the area found some of the building’s foundations. The area has been heavily built on over the last few centuries, not least the listed building at 67-70 Anchor Terrace. It’s not possible to dig more without taking the Anchor Terrace buildings down, but there are likely some foundations from the theatre present under those properties.

The location of the former theatre is on the South Bank of the Thames and is marked out with a cursor on the above map (clicking on the image makes it a little larger and easier to see) from the early twentieth century, at a time when they weren’t aware of the foundations being there. The Globe was rebuilt in a modern form in 1997 (although as true to the original as they realistically could and it’s the only building in the city of London which is thatched and they had to get special permission for that), but is on a site a little further west, around 250 metres, along the Thames.

There are a number of information boards at the site, including this easy to understand map of the site, which helped place things in the modern built-up environment. For anyone interested in the history of theatre and similar things, I’d say that it’s worth a little meander here to have a look, and it’s also known that Shakespeare lived nearby so that he could be at the theatre on a regular basis.

November 10, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – Kernel Brewery Taproom Arch 7

A group of four us had a great idea to visit some pubs along the Bermondsey Beer Mile (specifically it was my idea, but I don’t mind sharing the credit) including a trip to Kernel, which is a bar that I haven’t visited before and it’s the brewery known for its quirky branding on brown paper labels. Although this is a relatively new location at Arch 7, Kernel were the first breweries to have a taproom along here and they still brew a few doors down from this unit.

Although I’m sure it’s mostly just me, I found this to be one of the more confusing beer menus I’ve seen, so much so it confused the staff as well when taking orders. I ordered the Export India Porter and the India Double Porter, with the friendly staff member handing me one glass and saying “that’s the India Porter” which I only realised wasn’t entirely helpful when I sat down, it would have perhaps been easier to have beer names than using the beer style as the name. What initially looks to be a beer name are actually the hops which are used, which I noted confused other customers as well. Anyway, the drink needs of our group were quite varied, but there was something for all of us (and primarily me, which was my main priority if I’m being honest) as there were numerous different beer styles available.

One of my two porters, both were suitably decadent and drinkable.

This is what I thought to be a welcoming environment in its surroundings under the railway arches with several tables on the ground floor and there’s also a few seats on the upper level looking down. The availability of power points was useful and the whole arrangement is almost inevitably all on-trend given the location and products being sold.

For anyone meandering along the Bermondsey Beer Mile I’d recommend this bar (which is also very well-reviewed on-line), not least because of its heritage in the area. Kernel brew some really nice stouts and they didn’t let me down on that score, with the staff being friendly and everything was clean and organised.

November 8, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – UEFA Football Village

My modern day football knowledge isn’t great, but since Ross had popped down to London for the day (and his football knowledge is rather more substantial) we thought we’d pop into the UEFA football village which is located by Tower Bridge. It’s free to get in and there are places to watch matches (other than the England match, which isn’t shown here), get food and drink, look at a giant ball and numerous other experiences that I didn’t really entirely understand.

The aforementioned giant ball.

The large screen and there were football fans from numerous different countries watching the match. It was a convivial environment and there were lots of volunteers around to help and assist visitors. It wasn’t a large space and there were a limited number of tables, but there was social distancing and it was carefully laid out.

This is a real person dressed up, all adding to the occasion. Anyway, nice atmosphere and a pleasant place to walk around, all a good idea to add some excitement to the Euros.

June 30, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – St Saviour’s War Memorial

There’s a Wikipedia page to this monument on Borough High Street that gives more information than I can here, but this is one of the more striking war memorials that I’ve seen. The monument, which was funded by public subscription, was unveiled in November 1922 and is on a base of Portland stone with a bronze sculpture on the top.

The bronze sculpture was designed by Philip Lindsey Clark (1889-1977) who has a distinguished war record of his own, winning the DSO. The unveiling of the memorial was overseen by General Lord Horne, a Commander of the British First Army during the First World War, but the Bishop of Southwark was ill, so the dedication was performed by the Bishop of Woolwich. There was singing led by the choir of Southwark Cathedral and the Last Post and the Reveille were played by the Life Guards. Lord Horne gave a little ‘motivational’ speech saying that nine out of ten of those men who were dying on the frontline had said as their last words that they wanted someone to look after their wife and family.

This finely decorated bronze tablet shows battleships with another tablet on the other side showing planes.

The memorial was removed for an extensive restoration in 2013, being returned in the following year. The memorial is now Grade II* listed with the architectural listing mentioning:

“* a well-executed war memorial of striking composition using high quality materials and demonstrating excellent craftsmanship;

* a fine example of the work of the distinguished sculptor Philip Lindsey Clark with bronze figural sculpture and reliefs of exceptional quality;

* it is relatively uncommon with First World War memorials to feature the role of the air services in combat; by including a bronze relief of an air combat scene, St Saviour’s war memorial demonstrates the growing importance of the use of aviation in combat in the First World War.”

June 24, 2021
London – Southwark (Borough of) – The Barrel Project

This is the Barrel Project, which interested me as it is the taproom of the London Beer Factory and they say that it’s a fluid space which is used for numerous different purposes. The brewery themselves are located in Norwood and they were founded by brothers in 2013. This space along the Bermondsey Beer Mile is in their words, “a joint blendery, conditioning area, and taproom for the London Beer Factory”.

My phone didn’t like the lighting in the venue as the quality of the photos isn’t great, but they give an indication of what the interior looks like. It took a minute or so for a staff member to notice me at the entrance, and although that isn’t very much time at all, I know I stand awkwardly whilst waiting to be noticed. I don’t want to draw attention to myself as I’m British, but equally I did want to be noticed so that I could be seated. To deal with this dilemma, I looked at my phone so I appeared to be casually waiting without looking like I was annoyed at waiting. It’s a hard balance and challenging not to stand looking awkward…. Anyway, I digress.

The main bar, a traditional style frontage which looks quite grand. The venue is generally well reviewed, although I noted the:

“Sterile, gimmicky, the ‘craft’ beer scene at its worst. Can’t see it lasting”

That was three years ago, and it seems to be lasting quite well…. I didn’t find it formulaic, it ended up feeling vibrant and on-trend for me without really needing to try. The nod towards a traditional style also works well with the modern elements.

And another 1/5 review of:

“Stag groups not allowed in”.

Good.

Everything else is much more positive in terms of reviews, with the atmosphere here feeling very relaxed and informal. Although being located in railway arches does make for a poor phone signal.

To the left are some of the hundreds of barrels which are located here, along with the seating which goes all the way to the back of the unit. It was busy on the Sunday afternoon that I visited, with most of the tables occupied during the entire time that I was there.

There was a printed menu for customers, but I did like that they’d still made the effort to chalk the beer list onto the wall as well. There were numerous different beers that I wanted to try, but I limited myself to 1/3 of three of the stouts.

And the three beers, with the staff member very carefully remembering which was which, pretty useful since they’re all stouts that look the same. Not that it matters to anyone, but I can still remember the order, so I shall note that here as a nod towards my professionalism….. All brewed by the London Beer Factory themselves, the top one is the Big Milk Stout, then the one with the head in the middle is the Zia and then the one at the bottom is the Wonky Tonk. The first two beers were very acceptable, but it was the third one that interested me the most.

I left the Wonky Tonk until last as I thought it would be the best, and it did work out like that. The description for the beer reads:

“A three bean stout, dripping with deep chocolate, heady vanilla and roasted almondy tonka beans. Layered and luxuriant, this beer morphs as it warms, cascading through the strata of flavours. Relaxing you into that post-dinner armchair”.

That sounds decadent. And it didn’t disappoint, a rich and full mouthfeel with a delicious initial chocolate hit. A smooth aftertaste, almost like a liquid hot chocolate, but with slightly nutty and vanilla flavours. Really quite lovely, and I didn’t get bored of it either, sometimes these strong ABVs, and this was 11.5%, can get a little harsh by the end. I like beers with a real depth of flavour.

This is the third attempt that I’ve made to get in here, they’ve been too busy before. However, I’m glad that I persisted, as the welcome was authentic, the interior is quirky and interesting, with no shortage of excellent beers to try. The service is friendly and knowledgeable, so definitely a recommended visit for anyone visiting the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

June 21, 2021