The George Inn

The George inn is one of London’s many relics from its medieval past. Although built in the late seventeenth century it is similar in design and function to many Inns which of the medieval city. The George Inn is tucked away off Borough high street south of the river. It was rebuilt in 1676 after a fire destroyed much of the south bank. It remains now the last galleried coaching Inn in London and only one of two coaching inns left. It would have originally stood in an area with many similar Inns on the approach to London however over the years they have been slowly removed mostly by the railway companies who also almost destroyed the George. Although the Inn was not lost like many others, two of the Inns sides and much of the back of the building were taken down to build a goods warehouse leaving only the south side (shown above left) of the inn as authentic. 

The building is listed grade one by English heritage as it is a rare example of the old coaching inns which would have once been common through-out London. The George inn is almost unique in having managed to escape the bulldozers which flattened most of the cities coaching inns. The inn is now maintained and conserved by the National Trust, although it is far from a museum with a lively pub on the ground floor. The best example of a London coaching Inn was the Oxford arms which was sadly demolished in the Victorian era.