Here is the Royal Oak Borough, sketched on a sunny day in August.
This pub serves Harvey’s beer and is listed in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) guide.
According to the landlord, the pub was built in 1825. The wooden bar inside is newer, but retains the old design. Outside there are fun Victorian architectural features. See the highly original “keystone” arrangement on the first floor window, and the flourishes around the chimney.
Tabard Street in 1913: Royal Oak just visible in the centre left, on the left of the street.
London Picture Archive Record No 115680
The chimney flourishes are useful because they enable the pub to be easily identified on old photos. See for example this one, which is in the London Picture Archive (click the picture to go to the London Picture Archive). The Royal Oak is the only building surviving from this 1913 view.
In that 1913 picture you can see the huge sign on the angle at the corner of the pub, advertising “Courage” ales. This was a Courage pub up to 19971 when it became the first Harvey’s tied pub in London.
The Royal Oak is near Borough Underground Station.
As I was sketching, people walked past, deep in conversation.
Worldly wisdom:
“Your options are limited without Maths and English Grade 4 or 5. That’s just the way the world works.”
And running.
“He runs on his toes. Maybe I’m running wrong?”
“No, bro, you’re not running wrong.”
It’s endlessly fascinating, just standing, looking and listening, on London streets.
Here are some snapshots from my sketching expedition, Thank you to the landlord Mike, who kindly brought me a chair, and welcomed me into the pub for a very welcome drink on that hot day.
- Harvey’s took over the pub in 1997 according to https://www.spbw.beer/lpoty-2/. The current landlord told me that the Royal Oak was Harvey’s first tied pub in London. ↩︎
Jane Sketching 
I particularly love this sentence: “It’s endlessly fascinating, just standing, looking and listening, on London streets.”
LikeLike