The Druid's Head is a
Grade II* listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
public house
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 ...
at 3 Market Place,
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames (hyphenated until 1965, colloquially known as Kingston) is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as ...
, London.
Built in the 17th and early 18th centuries,
it originally consisted of two pubs: The Druid and The Hog's Head. Situated side-by-side, they merged in the 1980s. Despite this, it is still the oldest surviving pub in Kingston. Originally a coaching inn, it was frequented by a number of patrons including
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
and
Jerome K. Jerome
Jerome Klapka Jerome (2 May 1859 – 14 June 1927) was an English writer and humourist, best known for the comic travelogue ''Three Men in a Boat'' (1889). Other works include the essay collections '' Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow'' (1886) a ...
. The latter left an inscription on the upstairs window. A 1983 study noted the building's attractive early 18th century brick front, as well as the original staircase and plaster ceilings on the first floor.
References
Grade II* listed buildings in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Grade II* listed pubs in London
Pubs in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
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