Defiant boozers ignore rising water levels and carry on drinking at historic pub

01 November 2023 , 16:05

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A woman in wellies holding a plate of food with a big smile on her face (Image: X/TheBullsHeadW4)

An historic pub had more in common with a boat than a boozer this week after it was hit by unusually high tides.

The Bulls Head, in Chiswick, west London, had flood water from the River Thames lapping against its front window. The pub, which has been licensed as a public house since 1722, sits in the shadow of the Kew Rail Bridge and across the river from the famous Kew Gardens. Despite tables being submerged and benches entirely under water, the pub remained open and locals continued to enjoy their pints.

One photo shows a woman in wellies holding a plate of food with a big smile on her face. In the background, a man sits on a bench with his shoes off and jeans rolled up, reading the paper. In one clip a young lad is seen arriving for a pint in a canoe.

Despite the flooding, landlady Barbara Smith remains upbeat and told the Evening Standard: "We had to move an elderly group of people off one area of our dining yesterday. We're so used to it happening, but bless them they felt a bit like they were in the Titanic - I think that was the comment - so we moved them."

The Bull's Head in Chiswick (Google Maps)

She added that while some water does get in, "we put a slate floor in that room, so we just mop it up and it's all just a bit of fun. The pub, which was once a meeting point for ship captains in the 1800s and even hosted Oliver Cromwell, is known to flood "a few times a year", according to a comment from the Bulls Head.

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Ms Smith added: "We had to move an elderly group of people off one area of our dining yesterday. We're so used to it happening, but bless them they felt a bit like they were in the Titanic - I think that was the comment - so we moved them. She added that while some water does get in, "we put a slate floor in that room, so we just mop it up and it's all just a bit of fun," To keep up with all the latest news, sign up to one of our newsletters here.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Kelly-Ann Mills