The George Inn, Southwark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The George Inn
Former names	Gorge George and Dragon
Alternative names	The George
General information
Type	Public house
Address	Borough High Street London, SE1 United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°30′15″N 0°05′24″W / 51.504182°N 0.090021°W / 51.504182; -0.090021
Current tenants	Tenanted by brewery
Owner	National Trust
Technical details
Structural system	partly timber framed

The George Inn, often called The George, is a very old and famous pub in London, England. It started way back in the Middle Ages, a long time ago! You can find it on Borough High Street in Southwark, close to London Bridge and the River Thames.

This special building is owned by the National Trust, a group that looks after important places. The George Inn is unique because it's the only "galleried coaching inn" left in London. These inns were like hotels and bus stations all in one, from a time before cars and trains.

History of The George Inn

The George Inn used to be known as the George and Dragon. This name comes from the old story of Saint George and the Dragon. Long ago, there were many inns like this in London. One very famous one was The Tabard. In 1388, a writer named Geoffrey Chaucer started his famous book, The Canterbury Tales, there.

In 1677, a big fire destroyed much of Southwark, including The George Inn. But it was rebuilt! The Tabard Inn was also rebuilt after the fire. However, it was later pulled down in the late 1800s.

Did you know that these inns with galleries were sometimes used for plays? During the time of Queen Elizabeth I, actors would perform in the courtyards of these inns.

Later, a railway company called the Great Northern Railway used The George Inn. They even pulled down two sides of the building to build warehouses. Now, only the south side of the original building remains.

The George Inn was also famous during the time of the writer Charles Dickens. He visited The George and even wrote about it in his books, Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend.

What The George Inn Looks Like

The building is partly made with a special old style called "timber framed." This means you can see the wooden beams that hold it up.

Inside, the ground floor has several connected rooms, which are now bars.

• The Parliament Bar used to be a waiting room for people traveling by coach.
• The Middle Bar was once called the Coffee Room. Charles Dickens liked to visit this room!
• Upstairs, where the galleries are, used to be bedrooms. These rooms are now a restaurant.

The George Inn is the only "galleried coaching inn" still standing in London. Other famous inns, like The White Hart and The Tabard, were nearby but were pulled down a long time ago. The building is very important. It is listed as "Grade I" on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a building of great historical interest. It's also in a special list of historic pub interiors.

Books About The George Inn

A writer named Pete Brown wrote a book called Shakespeare's Local. In his book, he shares lots of interesting facts about The George Inn and the area around it.

Gallery

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  The sign depicts Saint George slaying a dragon.

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  Secondary sign, with another depiction of Saint George slaying the dragon.

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  Inn, 1858

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  Inn, 1889

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  rear of Inn and coach yard, 1889

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  tap room

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  coffee-room

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  first floor gallery

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  bar parlour

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  dining room