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The Magdala, also known as The Magdala Tavern or colloquially as simply The Magy, is a
The pub is included in
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
on South Hill Park
South Hill Park is a English country house and its grounds, now run as an arts centre. It lies in the Birch Hill estate to the south of Bracknell town centre, in Berkshire.
History
Construction by Watts
The original South Hill Park mans ...
in Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
, north London. Named after the British victory in the 1868 Battle of Magdala
The Battle of Magdala was the conclusion of the British Expedition to Abyssinia fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast. The British were led by Robert Napier, while the Abyssinians were ...
, it was the site of a notorious murder in 1955.
History
The pub building dates back to at least the mid-19th century, being built in mid-Victorian times to serve the developing neighbourhood south ofHampstead Heath
Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is an ancient heath in London, spanning . This grassy public space sits astride a sandy ridge, one of the highest points in London, running from Hampstead to Highgate, which rests on a band o ...
. The building was named after the British victory in the 1868 Battle of Magdala
The Battle of Magdala was the conclusion of the British Expedition to Abyssinia fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast. The British were led by Robert Napier, while the Abyssinians were ...
.
The pub is included in CAMRA
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes real ale, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. With just under 155,000 members, it is the ...
's heritage guide for its interior, which includes a "remarkably intact room from the 1930s" with wood panelling, an Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
frieze and a Tudor-style pink marble fireplace.
The pub became infamous as the location outside which Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom, shot her boyfriend David Blakely in April 1955.
After closing for refurbishment in 2014, The Magdala reopened in January 2015 before closing again in February 2016, with the upper floors converted to flats. It reopened again as a pub and restaurant in May 2021.
The Magdala has been listed as an Asset of Community Value
In England, an asset of community value (ACV) is land or property of importance to a local community which is subject to additional protection from development under the Localism Act 2011. Voluntary and community organisations can nominate an ass ...
since September 2014. It is owned by Ori Calif.
See also
*List of assets of community value
This is a partial and incomplete list of assets of community value registered under the Localism Act 2011 by local authorities in England. Owners of these properties must inform the local authority if they wish to sell the asset and should a comm ...
* Carlton Tavern (owned by same landlord)
References
External links
* * Buildings and structures in Hampstead Pubs in the London Borough of Camden {{coord, 51.5556, -0.1656, format=dms, type:landmark, display=title