London Pubs Group

Campaign for Real Ale

Campaign for Real Ale

Royal George

14 Eversholt Street
Euston
NW1 1DG

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: ”UPDATE 2016.

The pub has had a significant refurbishment that has seen changes to the fittings, including the counter now being faced with white ceramic tiles.

The marquetry decoration thankfully remains visible. The former description is shown below.

Built 1939-40. By AE Sewell, LRIBA, architect to Messrs. Truman, Hanbury and Buxton, brewers to replace a public house of the same name in Drummond Street. Originally there were three bars – public, saloon and private as indicated by the three exterior doors – but the central counter remains. The counter front, the bar back, the walls and supporting columns to frieze height all have veneer panelling typical of the late 1930s, with banded decoration to bar and fitted seats to former lounge area clad in the same timber. Included for the rare marquetry decoration on the fireplaces - that on the left has small panels contrasting the steam age of the 1830s with the radios and cocktails of the 1930s - fireplace on the right has a larger panel depicting 'The Royal George' but sadly covered by a large TV screen.

The listing description is as follows: “Public house with staff flat over. 1939-40. By AE Sewell, LRIBA, architect to Mssrs. Truman, Hanbury and Buxton, brewers to replace a public house of the same name in Drummond Street. Stock brick between bands of artificial stone to ground floor and attic, green slate roof. Rear stacks. EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and cellars on rectangular plot with curved corners. Corner entrances to former public (north) and saloon (south) bars, and central entrance to former private bar; all have double doors. Band of six 2-light sash windows either side of central entrance. First floor has large 2-light casements under stone heads, four in centre and one on each corner; similar casements form a strip in attic, set back under projecting eaves and with set-back corners dominated by relief sculptures of eagles. Access to upper flat in Wellesley Road, where a door in similar style sits under first-floor tripartite window with stone jambs. INTERIOR: the interior originally consisted of lounge and public bar at either end, with private bar in centre and games room at rear now occupied by food counter. These bars now united, but central counter remains. This, the back bar and the walls and supporting columns to frieze height all with veneer panelling typical of the late 1930s, with banded decoration to bar and fitted seats to former lounge area clad in the same timber. The chimney-pieces are most elaborately treated, with marquetry decoration, that to the public bar with small panels contrasting the steam age of the 1830s with the radios and cocktails of the 1930s; a larger marquetry panel in the lounge depicts the sailing ship The Royal George. Banded coving over bar fascia and to cornices; inset roundels in ceiling serve later C20 light fittings. Included as a remarkably complete example of a 1930s pub, with excellent marquetry panels depicting features from the style of the period done with charm and panache.”

The WhatPub entry is here: WhatPub/Royal George

The Royal George featured on the Daytime Crawl of Outer Northern London in October 2007, and the A St Pancras Pilgrimage - Evening Crawl of Camden and Euston in December 2015.