The Punch Tavern is a Grade II listed pub on Fleet Street that caught my eye as I was passing because of the impressive sign outside.
I didn’t do much more than take a quick look and a few photos as I had somewhere else to be but I did pick up one of the information leaflets left just inside the door (as directed by a passing delivery man who saw me taking photos!)
As you’ll already know if you’ve read my earlier blog post about St Paul’s Church, the first recorded performance of Punch and Judy took place in 1662 but it was the founding of the satirical magazine Punch in 1841 that is most closely linked to the Punch Tavern. Originally called The Crown and Sugar Loaf it was renamed in honour of Punch because the magazine’s staff would regularly meet there.
It was refitted as a gin palace in the late 19th century and apparently continues to sell a wide range of gins to this day. Much of the interior has been maintained from that time so next time I’m in the area I’ll have to go in for a proper look.
Louise Jayne's Blog 