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Description
Keywords: GotonySmith,HotpixUK,@HotpixUK,EC4R,train,over,Road,England,UK,EC4R 2BB,tourist,boat,under,bridge,passing,mainline,city,centre,platform,platforms,Thameslink,services,Blackfriar,Blackfriars,looking,north,west,sunny,summer,blue,sky,skies,traffic,water,waterside,waterway,waterways
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy 2JKBPH1 - Blackfriars, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway station and connected London Underground station in the City of London. It provides Thameslink services: local (from North to South London), and regional (Bedford and Cambridge to Brighton) and limited Southeastern commuter services to South East London and Kent. Its platforms span the River Thames, the only one in London to do so, along the length of Blackfriars Railway Bridge, a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. There are two station entrances either side of the Thames, along with a connection to the London Underground District and Circle lines.
The main line station was opened by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway with the name St. Paul's in 1886, as a replacement for the earlier Blackfriars Bridge station (now the present station's southern entrance) and the earlier Blackfriars railway bridge. This increased capacity of rail traffic through the Snow Hill tunnel to the rest of the rail network. The Underground station opened in 1870 with the arrival of the Metropolitan District Railway. The station was renamed Blackfriars in 1937 to avoid confusion with St Paul's tube station. It was rebuilt in the 1970s, which included the addition of office space above the station and the closure of the original railway bridge, which was demolished in 1985.
In 2009, the station underwent major refurbishments to improve capacity, which included the extension of the platforms across the railway bridge and a new station entrance on the South Bank. The underground station was rebuilt at the same time, and work was completed in 2012.
Blackfriars Road, London, England, UK, EC4R 2BB
-England-UK-E6JB5B.jpg)
Description
Keywords: United,Kingdom,boozer,beautiful,real,ale,Fullers,brewery,tourist,trail,Jermyn,St,Mayfair,(off,Piccadilly),England,UK,ornate,gin,palace,cask,ale,ales,stained,glass,etched,window,interior,the,RedLion,commissioned,glasswork,Walter,Gibb,and,Sons,of,Blackfriars,engraving,mirrors,engraved,victorian,gotonysmith,cosy,favorite,public,house,bar,bars,warm,light,lamp,lamps,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Private bar,Pubs Of London,must see,Red Lion
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy E6JB5B - There has been a pub called The Red Lion on this site ever since 1788. The one you see today was constructed in 1821 and, thanks to surviving the Blitz completely intact, has become one of London's rare examples of original ornate Victoriana at its finest.
Uniquely, the pub is full of specially commissioned glasswork, with much of it thought to have been created by the renowned Walter Gibb and Sons of Blackfriars, using some of the most advanced engraving and etching techniques available at the time. While nobody is sure why there are so many mirrors, one theory is that they were deliberately commissioned by a local magistrate at the time in order to reduce the privacy of the pub's snugs, and therefore smiting the activity of local women of the night.
Whatever the reason, it has led to The Red Lion being described as 'a perfect example of the small Victorian gin palace at its best' by Architectural Review, and it really is a window into life in the late 19th century.
The Red Lion, 2 Duke of York Street, Mayfair, London, SW1Y 6JP, England, UK
-England-UK-E6JB5C.jpg)
Description
Keywords: United,Kingdom,boozer,beautiful,real,tourist,trail,Mayfair,(off,Piccadilly),England,UK,ornate,gin,palace,cask,ale,ales,stained,glass,etched,window,interior,the,RedLion,commissioned,glasswork,Walter,Gibb,and,Sons,of,Blackfriars,engraving,mirrors,engraved,victorian,gotonysmith,cosy,favorite,public,house,bar,bars,warm,light,lamp,lamps,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Pubs Of London,must see,Pubs Of London,must see
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy E6JB5C - There has been a pub called The Red Lion on this site ever since 1788. The one you see today was constructed in 1821 and, thanks to surviving the Blitz completely intact, has become one of London's rare examples of original ornate Victoriana at its finest.
Uniquely, the pub is full of specially commissioned glasswork, with much of it thought to have been created by the renowned Walter Gibb and Sons of Blackfriars, using some of the most advanced engraving and etching techniques available at the time. While nobody is sure why there are so many mirrors, one theory is that they were deliberately commissioned by a local magistrate at the time in order to reduce the privacy of the pub's snugs, and therefore smiting the activity of local women of the night.
Whatever the reason, it has led to The Red Lion being described as 'a perfect example of the small Victorian gin palace at its best' by Architectural Review, and it really is a window into life in the late 19th century.
The Red Lion, 2 Duke of York Street, Mayfair, London, SW1Y 6JP, England, UK
Description
Keywords: City,Fullers,London,England,bar,traditional,boozer,trad,tradition,old,fashioned,old-fashioned,3 men,men,three,three men,with drinker,with drinkers,ale,ales,bar,bars,beautiful,blackfriars,boozer,brewery,cask,commissioned,cosy,england,gotonysmith,engraved,engraving,etched,favorite,fullers,gibb,gin,glass,glasswork,gotonysmith,house,interior,jermyn,kingdom,lamp,lamps,light,lion,london,mayfair,mirrors,off,ornate,palace,piccadilly,private,pub,public,real,red,redlion,sons,st,stained,tourist,traditional,trail,uk,united,victorian,walter,warm,window,English,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Pubs Of London,must see
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy E6JB5D - . Fullers Red Lion pub with three drinkers, Piccadilly,London, England. Photographed at Jermyn St Mayfair (off Piccadilly),London, England,UK. The photograph was taken on 14 June 2014. The image metadata records 3 people in the frame. This editorial stock image documents the subject as it appeared at that time, preserving a clear record of the place, its appearance and the everyday details surrounding it. The interior viewpoint records fittings, surfaces, decoration and spatial details that help show how the premises or public space was arranged when photographed. The scene is closely associated with Fullers, Red Lion, pub, three drinkers, Red Lion pub, with three drinkers, Piccadilly, Red, Lion and London, adding specific subject detail and useful search context without losing the documentary focus on the main subject. Beyond the immediate subject, the scene is relevant to British pub culture, licensed premises, real ale, beer tourism and the continuing social role of the traditional public house. For picture buyers, the photograph can support editorial features about pubs and bars, hospitality, independent and managed venues, drinking culture, local heritage, city and town centres, leisure spending and the changing British high street. Details such as brewery branding, pub signage, entrances, windows, bar fittings, beer pumps or period architecture can provide useful visual evidence of how licensed premises present themselves to customers. The image also works as a record of everyday social history, documenting a familiar type of British hospitality venue at a particular moment in time rather than presenting an idealised studio view. Search themes naturally include British pub heritage, real ale and beer culture, licensed premises, hospitality, public houses, local drinking traditions and the role of pubs within town and city life. The view is firmly rooted in a real location rather than a constructed studio setting.
Jermyn St Mayfair (off Piccadilly),London, England,UK
Description
Keywords: public,house,pub,pubs,bar,bars,Blackfriars,North,London,England,UK,classic,gin,palace,palaces,drinking,beers,ales,CAMRA,in,art,deco,artdeco,art-deco,nicolsons,perfect,art,nouveau,art,John,Betjeman,Nicholsons,Nicholsons,brewing,history,heritage,brewary,brewery,traffic,light,lights,clock,summer,Gotonysmith,tourist,tourism,drinking,tour,tours,of,around,famous,pubs,bars,EC4V,4E,EC4V4E,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Pubs Of London,must see
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE742 - . This authentic period view of 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E in 2013 preserves the main subject alongside smaller contextual details that can acquire greater historical value as places and uses change. At the centre of the view is Stained glass window at the Black Friar pub, Blackfriars, London, England UK EC4V 4E. The setting additionally reflects historic hostelry, local character, before-and-after reference, Thames city view, traditional pub, public realm, historical comparison, visual archive, real-ale culture, visitor hospitality, cask-beer tradition, period detail, urban tourism, and night-time economy. In present-day coverage, the subject reaches into tourism and pub closures, not least because of the continuing appeal of real ale and regional brewing. Today's relevance is strengthened by tourism, air quality and the continuing question of the mix of working city infrastructure with heritage tourism. Small period details of period objects and surrounding context at 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E may become more significant with time, particularly following conservation work. The photograph additionally reflects capital-city heritage, community identity, community drinking venue, beer-led hospitality, local history, Westminster landmark, iconic London transport, and capital landmark imagery. Details involving Black, Stained, Blackfriars, glass, and Friar make the image more specific than a generic view and strengthen its local or historical value. The wider setting at 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E matters because ordinary visual details often provide the strongest evidence of how a place actually looked and functioned. Another useful connection is tourism and the survival of pubs as both businesses and informal community spaces in a form that can be compared with future views of 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E. Image DCE742 also remains a dated record of 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E.
174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E
Description
Keywords: public,house,pub,pubs,bar,bars,Blackfriars,North,London,England,UK,classic,gin,palace,palaces,drinking,beers,ales,CAMRA,in,art,deco,artdeco,art-deco,nicolsons,perfect,art,nouveau,art,John,Betjeman,Nicholsons,Nicholsons,brewing,history,heritage,brewary,brewery,traffic,light,lights,clock,summer,Gotonysmith,tourist,tourism,drinking,tour,tours,of,around,famous,pubs,bars,EC4V,4E,EC4V4E,building,architecture,victorian,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Pubs Of London,must see
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE749 - . A grounded documentary photograph made at 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E in 2013, combining the immediate subject with evidence of the surrounding streetscape, public realm, business activity or local character. The defining feature is Black Friar pub, Blackfriars, London, England UK EC4V 4E. A broader reading of the photograph includes historical comparison, local history, social history, beer-led hospitality, changing streetscape, city branding, public realm, contemporary social history, documentary photography, iconic London transport, community identity, community drinking venue, before-and-after reference, and Westminster landmark. The wider contemporary story combines consumer spending, staffing pressure and the value of historic pubs to tourism and local identity. Viewed from the mid-2020s, the subject also connects with heritage conservation, visitor economy and the pressure of visitor economies and housing costs on central neighbourhoods. For later comparison, the photograph preserves period objects and surrounding context at 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E, details that may look very different after conservation work. The subject also sits alongside Thames city view, urban tourism, licensed hospitality, local social venue, visual archive, place identity, traditional pub, and everyday life. The recorded references to Blackfriars, Black, and Friar preserve clues about how the subject was presented, used or understood at the time. The wider setting at 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E matters because ordinary visual details often provide the strongest evidence of how a place actually looked and functioned. The image also provides a reference for consumer spending and the continuing appeal of real ale and regional brewing without losing the local specificity of 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E. The image fixes period character within the wider story of 174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E.
174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E
Description
Keywords: Thames,Link,Programme,Bankside,ticket,hall,West,Blackfriars,and,St.,Pauls,Railway,Bridge,St,pauls,Pascall+Watson,architects,Jacobs,and,Tony,Gee,and,Partners,it,was,built,by,Balfour,Beatty,renovation,2013,for,the,Thameslink,project,transport,facelift,EC4V,4EG,Gotonysmith,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE74D - Blackfriars station was significantly renovated between 2009 and 2012. The office building above was demolished and replaced as part of the Thameslink programme.
The new station is the same height and houses a shared National Rail and London Underground ticket hall and ventilation shaft together with escalators and lifts between a mezzanine level for mainline railway services and the sub-surface level for London Underground services. The Underground station also received major enhancements, with a new roof of glazed north lights and partial-height glazed side panels installed along the entire length of the bridge.
Blackfriars, London, England, UK 174 Queen Victoria Street, Blackfriars, London, UK EC4V 4EG
Description
Keywords: Thames,Link,Programme,Bankside,ticket,hall,West,Blackfriars,and,St.,Pauls,Railway,Bridge,St,pauls,Pascall+Watson,architects,Jacobs,and,Tony,Gee,and,Partners,it,was,built,by,Balfour,Beatty,renovation,2013,for,the,Thameslink,project,transport,facelift,EC4V,4EG,Gotonysmith,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE74N - Blackfriars station was significantly renovated between 2009 and 2012. The office building above was demolished and replaced as part of the Thameslink programme.
The new station is the same height and houses a shared National Rail and London Underground ticket hall and ventilation shaft together with escalators and lifts between a mezzanine level for mainline railway services and the sub-surface level for London Underground services. The Underground station also received major enhancements, with a new roof of glazed north lights and partial-height glazed side panels installed along the entire length of the bridge.
Blackfriars, London, England, UK 174 Queen Victoria Street, Blackfriars, London, UK EC4V 4EG
Description
Keywords: public,house,pub,pubs,bar,bars,Blackfriars,North,London,England,UK,classic,gin,palace,palaces,drinking,beers,ales,CAMRA,in,art,deco,artdeco,art-deco,nicolsons,perfect,art,nouveau,art,John,Betjeman,Nicholsons,Nicholsons,brewing,history,heritage,brewary,brewery,traffic,light,lights,clock,summer,Gotonysmith,tourist,tourism,drinking,tour,tours,of,around,famous,pubs,bars,EC4V,4E,EC4V4E,sky,2013,public,house,pub,pubs,bar,bars,Blackfriars,North,London,England,UK,classic,gin,palace,palaces,drinking,beers,ales,CAMRA,in,art,deco,artdeco,perfect,art,art,John,Betjeman,Nicholsons,Nicholsons,brewing,history,heritage,brewary,brewery,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Pubs Of London,must see
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE754 - Unique' is a much overworked word when it comes to describing pubs. But that's exactly what the Black Friar is. There's nothing else anywhere remotely like its fabulous decorative scheme, either in style or content. On a sharply triangular site opposite Blackfriars station, the pub was built in 1871-2, but what makes it so special is a remodelling from about 1905 by the then publican, Alfred Pettitt, and his architect H. Fuller-Clark. Fuller-Clark trained at the Lambeth School of Art and began practice in 1893. His artist was Henry Poole R.A., and both men were committed to the Arts & Crafts Movement which embraced a love of high-quality materials, hand craftsmanship, and often a very free, original approach to design.
Before entering the pub there is much to admire on the exterior. There is a deep mosaic fascia carrying the words Saloon / 174 / The Black Friar / 174 / Brandies on New Bridge Street side. A grand segmental arched entrance on the far left is surmounted by stone carved figures and above it a colourful mosaic of two monks fishing. The exterior lobby itself has walls and ceiling of marble. All along the exterior (well illuminated at night) are beautiful copper signs most featuring one or two friars such as a ˜Worthington Ales in Bottle'
two ˜Worthington Ales on Draught' ones
˜To the Saloon', ˜Booths Gin'
and a couple of ˜Saloon Bar' signs, one of which bears a couple of friars pointing you towards the saloon and helpfully tells you it is 9 yards away. Above the corner door (no longer in use) is a ˜174' in mosaic
a large stone figure of a friar
and a clock with a mosaic face. Above the Queen Victoria Street entrance on the right is a mosaic of a friar with wine in carafes flanked by stone carvings of friars. The fascia on this side has ˜Brandies' in mosaic.
Throughout the pub are friars “ or at least jolly, modern reinvented versions of them “ they appear everywhere in sculptures, mosaics and metal reliefs.
174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E
Description
Keywords: LCDR,crest,Thames,coat,of,arms,city,of,history,station,decoration,victorian,colorful,colourful,decoration,transport,historic,rail,railroad,England,UK,GB,great,british,britain,Invicta,freshly,painted,renovated,1864,construction,metal,embankment,trail,riverside,river,side,beside,BR,British,rail,Britis,Gotonysmith,London,Chatham,and,Dover,railway,Invicta,bridge,support,at,Blackfriars,London,England with The Shard in the background,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE7BH - . This scene at Blackfriars London, England, UK in 2013 forms part of the visual history of the locality, documenting the named subject together with aspects of how the area looked and functioned at the time. The frame specifically shows London Chatham and Dover railway Invicta bridge support at Blackfriars London, England with The Shard in the background. The wider scene also brings together passenger railway, commuter travel, community identity, urban rail transport, changing streetscape, contemporary social history, transport interchange, trackside heritage, before-and-after reference, documentary photography, regional identity, period detail, rail corridor, and local character. In present-day coverage, the subject reaches into decarbonisation and integrated transport, not least because of how rail stations anchor city-centre mobility and regeneration. For later comparison, the photograph preserves public access and movement at Blackfriars London, England, UK, details that may look very different after different community use. The subject also sits alongside place identity, railway branding, historical comparison, local history, rail modernisation, visual archive, changing land use, and rail infrastructure. References to Shard, background, support, railway, and bridge give the picture a strong period identity and tie it closely to its named subject. The wider setting at Blackfriars London, England, UK matters because ordinary visual details often provide the strongest evidence of how a place actually looked and functioned. Another strand within the photograph is decarbonisation and how rail stations anchor city-centre mobility and regeneration in a form that can be compared with future views of Blackfriars London, England, UK. The setting also helps illustrate rail reform and the reshaping of Britain's passenger railway in the mid-2020s within the real-world context of Blackfriars London, England, UK.
Blackfriars London, England, UK
Description
Keywords: public,house,pub,pubs,bar,bars,Blackfriars,North,London,England,UK,classic,gin,palace,palaces,drinking,beers,ales,CAMRA,in,art,deco,artdeco,art-deco,nicolsons,perfect,art,nouveau,art,Nicholsons,brewing,history,heritage,brewary,brewery,BlackFriar,Gotonysmith,tourist,tourism,drinking,tour,tours,of,around,famous,pubs,bars,EC4V,4E,EC4V4E,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Buy Pictures of,Buy Images Of,Pubs Of London,must see
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE7J7 - Unique' is a much overworked word when it comes to describing pubs. But that's exactly what the Black Friar is. There's nothing else anywhere remotely like its fabulous decorative scheme, either in style or content. On a sharply triangular site opposite Blackfriars station, the pub was built in 1871-2, but what makes it so special is a remodelling from about 1905 by the then publican, Alfred Pettitt, and his architect H. Fuller-Clark. Fuller-Clark trained at the Lambeth School of Art and began practice in 1893. His artist was Henry Poole R.A., and both men were committed to the Arts & Crafts Movement which embraced a love of high-quality materials, hand craftsmanship, and often a very free, original approach to design.
Before entering the pub there is much to admire on the exterior. There is a deep mosaic fascia carrying the words Saloon / 174 / The Black Friar / 174 / Brandies on New Bridge Street side. A grand segmental arched entrance on the far left is surmounted by stone carved figures and above it a colourful mosaic of two monks fishing. The exterior lobby itself has walls and ceiling of marble. All along the exterior (well illuminated at night) are beautiful copper signs most featuring one or two friars such as a ˜Worthington Ales in Bottle'
two ˜Worthington Ales on Draught' ones
˜To the Saloon', ˜Booths Gin'
and a couple of ˜Saloon Bar' signs, one of which bears a couple of friars pointing you towards the saloon and helpfully tells you it is 9 yards away. Above the corner door (no longer in use) is a ˜174' in mosaic
a large stone figure of a friar
and a clock with a mosaic face. Above the Queen Victoria Street entrance on the right is a mosaic of a friar with wine in carafes flanked by stone carvings of friars. The fascia on this side has ˜Brandies' in mosaic.
Throughout the pub are friars “ or at least jolly, modern reinvented versions of them “ they appear everywhere in sculptures, mosaics and metal reliefs.
174 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4E
Description
Keywords: EC4V,4EG,UK,art,deco,friars,drinking,beer,CAMRA,listed,classic,pubs,english,british,cockney,bars,artdeco,1920s,1910,style,styles,architecture,decoration,salloon,classic,Gotonysmith,engraved,pubs,bars,of,London,classic,tourist,attraction,travel,vacation,Pubs Of London,pub,bar,Blackfriars
Description: Tony Smith image Alamy DCE774 - . To The saloon copper plate engraving, outside the historic Black Friar pub , Blackfriars London England UK. Photographed on 10 August 2013. The recorded location is Black Friar Public House, 174 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4EG UK. The Black Friar is one of London's most distinctive historic pubs, occupying a triangular site near Blackfriars station. The present building was remodelled around 1905 in an elaborate Arts and Crafts style, with decorative mosaics, sculpture, copperwork and inscriptions that play on the medieval Black Friars associated with the area. Small engraved details such as saloon signs and measurements form part of a remarkably complete decorative scheme. As background, public houses form a distinctive part of British social history, combining licensed drinking, hospitality and community life
Older pubs can reveal changing fashions in brewing, tied houses, coaching routes, urban development and leisure, while modern bars show how the licensed trade continues to adapt. The historical context is that older buildings and artefacts provide tangible evidence that written records cannot fully replace
Their wear, construction, signage and setting help researchers understand local history, design, industry and social life across different periods. In historical terms, architecture records the priorities of the period in which a building was designed: materials, ornament, scale and planning can reveal changing technologies, social status and commercial use
Later alterations and changes of tenant add further layers, so a single façade can embody several phases of local history. Against the 2026 backdrop, pub survival is a live issue, with government support including a 15% business-rates relief for eligible pubs and live-music venues in England during 2026/27, alongside wider debate about closures, property costs and the value of pubs as community assets.
Black Friar Public House, 174 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4EG UK
