Plaque

Black Friar pub

Inscription

The Blackfriar
This art-nouveau masterpiece was built in 1905 on the site of a former Dominican Friary which existed from 1279 - 1539. Following the 260 years of the Dominican Friars the site became the parliament chamber of the monastry. It is believed that Emperor Charles V, the Papal Magistrate and Henry VIII's court sat on this very site during the dissolution of Henry VIII's marrage to Catherine of Aragon in 1532. The Black Friar has been a favourite watering hole for many since the 'merry monks' first settled on this site. Its unusual shape is due to the fact that all the surrounding buildings have long since been demolished, taking with them the small alleyways that were once the only access to the pub. This wonderful pub was due for demolition in the sixties but the public outcry led by Sir John Betjeman and Lady Dartmouth saved the building.

The plaque is a perfectly nice pub plaque but the pub is adorned with many lovely art nouveau images, in metal and stone, of monks either drunk already or making their way, some on their knees, to the Saloon Bar. So we have captured one of these instead.

Site: Black Friar pub (1 memorial)

EC4, Queen Victoria Street, Black Friar pub, 174

Built in 1875 by H. Fuller Clark but the exterior decorations which make it so memorable were added in 1903 by sculptors Nathaniel Hitch, Frederick T. Callcott and Henry Poole. Saved from demolition in the '60s by John Betjeman. More photos of this lovely building at Caroline's Miscellany.

Trivia: Via the Londonist Time Machine we learnt that the lettering on the outside of this pub directly influenced the titles in the opening credits of Blackadder II.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Black Friar pub

Subjects commemorated i

Blackfriars Priory

Built on the site of the Norman fortification known as Baynard's Castle which...

Read More

Catherine of Aragon

First wife of Henry VIII and married to him for longer (1509 - 1533) than the...

Read More

Sir John Betjeman

Poet Laureate 1972 - 1984. Conservation campaigner. Credited with saving the ...

Read More

Emperor Charles V

Born Ghent. Ruled over large chunks of Europe and the Spanish colonies in Ame...

Read More

King Henry VIII

Son of Henry VII. Born Born Greenwich Palace, as the spare, not the heir but ...

Read More

Show all 6

Nearby Memorials

Pargiter Court - history

Pargiter Court - history

W1, Ingestre Place, Pargiter Court

We believe the parish referenced here is the one associated with St James's church in Piccadilly. In our photograph, just one resident ha...

6 subjects commemorated
Boundary stone - Lambeth

Boundary stone - Lambeth

SE11, Walnut Tree Walk

There's probably someone out there who is fascinated by old parish boundaries and how the parishes merged and split over time.  We try to...

Church Street pavement plaque - 1831 - theatre

Church Street pavement plaque - 1831 - theatre

NW8, Salisbury Street, Morris House

The eleven pavement plaques can be seen randomly distributed over this paved area. The Nightingale Street Buildings plaque can just be se...

2 subjects commemorated
US Embassy & Brooks Adams

US Embassy & Brooks Adams

W1, Portland Place, 98

United States Embassy, 1863 - 1866. Henry Brooks Adams, 1838 - 1918, U.S. historian lived here. Greater London Council

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Battersea Bridge

Battersea Bridge

SW11, Riverside Walk

Crossing the River by Brian Cookson points out that the 18th of June was a bridge-heavy day for Prince Albert Victor in 1887 - he opened ...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Thomas H. Wickstead

Thomas H. Wickstead

On east side of St John's Waterloo monument.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Basil Hume, Lamb's Passage

Basil Hume, Lamb's Passage

EC1, Lamb's Passage

This space, previously the car park of St. Joseph’s Church, was created by father Bruno Healy, together with landscape gardener Simon P...

1 subject commemorated
Sinclair Beecham

Sinclair Beecham

Co-founder of Pret a Manger with Julian Metcalfe, who he met at the Polytechnic of Central London.

Person, Commerce

1 memorial
John Adams

John Adams

Second President of USA. 1783 signatory to the Treaty of Paris. Minister to the Court of St James's: May 1785 to March 1788. Then Vice President to George Washington. For a list of all the US pres...

Person, Politics & Administration, USA

2 memorials
Zeppelin airships

Zeppelin airships

Invented by Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1900. London was first targeted with airships in May 1915 and initially found defence very difficult. Searchlights and incendiary ammunition helped to de...

Vehicle, Armed Forces, Aviation

7 memorials