London Pubs Group

Campaign for Real Ale

Campaign for Real Ale

Prince Albert

163 Royal College Street
Camden
NW1 0SG

This pub is not a listed building, but it is on the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) Local Inventory as having an interior of Local Historic Interest, and the description is as follows: "Built in 1843, it is three-storey building of London brick situated on a corner. The ground floor was given an impressive exterior in the early 1900s so the ground floor is covered in dark green tiling with ceramic light green archways around door and windows. The fascia is of cream coloured tiling with, from the left Lyme Street side the wording “OFF’ ‘LICENSE’ ‘PRINCE ALBERT’, on the Georgiana Street elevation ‘PALE’ ‘CHARRINGTON’S’ ‘ALES’, and on Royal College Street side ‘PRINCE ALBERT’, ‘PALE’ AND ‘CHARRINGTON’S’. Also, on the Lyme Street side is a large arched ceramic filled with cream tiles on which is written ‘CHARRINGTON’S ALES & STOUT’ and their anchor symbol. Charrington’s brewed at the Anchor Brewery and when they bought Hoare & Co in 1933 who had a symbol of the Toby Jug it was adopted by Charringtons’. Signs of four/five doors.

The pub was subject to a refurbishment in the inter-war years hence the leaded glass windows etc. The bare boarded U-shaped interior has most of the walls with three-quarter height fielded panelling but, sadly, recently it has been painted a cream colour. There are signs that the bar counter is much smaller than originally. The mirrored bar back has a narrow mirrored top section with the wording ‘Ales’, ‘Wines’, ‘Spirits’, ‘Stout’, but lower shelving lost to fridges. Good 1930s Art Deco tiled fireplace at the rear right with a brown and cream ceramic interior. Upstairs the bare boarded room has no old fittings. The exterior wording confirms an off license has been absorbed."

The WhatPub entry is here: WhatPub/Prince Albert

The Prince Albert featured on the A St Pancras Pilgrimage - Evening Crawl of Camden and Euston in December 2015.