The stories hiding above Clerkenwell's pubs
6 pub signs, 6 hidden stories
A free ~45-minute, ~2-mile walk from Angel to Farringdon past six pub signs, each with its own hidden story. Every stop is free to look at from the street, this is about the signs, not drinking.
Free · 6 stops · ~40–45 min · ~2 miles · Angel → Farringdon
- The Tamil Crown — near Elia Street, 5 min from Angel. This sign replaced an English prince: started as The Prince Albert in the 1800s, later The Charles Lamb, and only became The Tamil Crown in 2023. Website · Instagram
- The Harlequin — Arlington Way, 8 min walk. Named for Sadler's Wells' pantomime star, this free house opened right behind the theatre in 1848. Website · Instagram
- The Exmouth Arms — Exmouth Market, 7 min walk. The man in chains is a freed slave: Admiral Pellew, Viscount Exmouth, bombarded Algiers in 1816 to free around 3,000 Christian captives. Website · Instagram
- The Marian Anderson — 28–32 Bowling Green Lane, 3 min walk. Named for the singer Marian Anderson, but nobody's ever identified the woman in the sign's mural. Website · Instagram
- The Sekforde — Sekforde Street, 4 min walk. Thomas Sekforde paid for Christopher Saxton's 1579 atlas, England's first county-by-county map. Website · Instagram
- The Sutton Arms — Great Sutton Street, 4 min walk, ends at Farringdon. Even Thomas Sutton's motto has a typo: the sign reads "DE DANTE DED", a wonky version of the real thing. Website · Instagram
Route: Angel → The Tamil Crown → The Harlequin → The Exmouth Arms → The Marian Anderson → The Sekforde → The Sutton Arms → Farringdon.
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