London Pubs Group

Campaign for Real Ale

Campaign for Real Ale

Queens Head

8 Flamborough Street
Limehouse
E14 7LS

This pub is not only a grade II listed building, it is also on the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Local Inventory as having an interior of Local Historic Interest, and the description is as follows: "Late 18th / early 19th century end of terrace pub with a dado of glazed brick that still retains three rooms and fittings from the inter-war period. The two-leaf door to the main bar has etched and frosted ‘The Queens Head’ panels. The larger front room has an island style bar counter of inter-war fielded panelling which has seen changes as there is a straight section to the right that reaches the exterior wall and features a glass display case. The island bar back fitting is mostly the bottom section with a fridge in the middle of it and spirits dispensers on the top. There is a modern bar back fitting behind the straight section of counter. The dado panelling looks to be of a 1950s style and the brick fireplace looks modern. Doorway leads to a small bar at the rear left with an inter-war curved bar counter with inlay. The dado panelling looks more 1950s than inter-war.

A narrow arch shaped doorway cut into the wall leads to a bar with a curved horizontally laid Art Deco style panelled counter. The bar back fitting could be inter-war (or just post-war), the (disused) fireplace has a plain wood surround but modern tiled interior, and there is a shallow vestibule. The dumb waiter remains. This pub is famous for the one where Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was photographed in 1987 pulling a pint of beer that was well used in Young's advertising."

The listing description is as follows: "Late C18/early C19 end of terrace. Stock brick with mansard slate roof, coped parapet. 2 storeys and dormers. 3 windows. 1st floor windows set in wide, shallow recessed brick arches with stone keystones. Centre window, C19 casement with glazing bars. Other windows sashes with glazing bars. Cornice and fascia board above partly tiled ground floor."

The WhatPub entry is here: WhatPub/Queens Head

The Queens Head featured on the Going to the Dogs: Daytime Crawl of the Isle of Dogs, Poplar, Limehouse and Stepney in October 2015.