|
LONDON, GREATER - London EC4, Blackfriars, Black Friar National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors Part Two 174 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4, EC4V 4EG Tel: 020 7236 5474 Public Transport: Railway Station: Blackfriars; Underground: Blackfriars Listed Status: Grade II* View this pub on a local map
'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 about 1875, 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 an ‘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. So we have a theme (what’s new about theming a pub?) based on the Dominican Friary established here in 1278. The whole thing is a glorious piece of nonsense but it’s carried off with wit and verve. The most prevalent activities concern the serious matters of eating, drinking and generally enjoying oneself. Hence over the left-hand bar is a scene entitled ‘Tomorrow will be Friday’ showing fish and eels being collected for the ensuing meatless day. ‘Saturday afternoon’ above the arches to the second room sees the friars gardening and gathering produce. There is a magnificent fireplace recess, framed by a broad tripartite arch, which includes corner seats; a grate with firedogs surmounted by imps; overmantle has bronze bas-relief of singing friars entitled "Carols", flanked by 2 friars' heads with swags above. Above the seats are marble panels with mahogany surrounds, monks’ head in copper relief and the word ‘svmmer’ on the left panel and ‘winter’ on the right panel. A stained glass exterior window depicts a friar in a sunlit garden.
The most special space is the arched windowless room with a barrel vaulted ceiling approached through three openings from the saloon area and added as a snack bar under the railway in 1917-21. There are two more copper reliefs on the pillars and on the inside walls of entrances are more reliefs i.e. another 6. The small room is lined with marble and alabaster and has a series of jokey scenes in bas relief and inscriptions. The end walls each have a bronze relief, the south wall one is entitled "Don't advertise, tell a gossip" with a group of monks doing the weekly wash. The north wall one is entitled "A good thing is soon snatched up" depicting monks pushing a trussed pig in a wheelbarrow. On the cornice below, are devils representing music, drama, painting & literature. On the east wall are ‘Industry is all’ with a monk snoozing; ‘Haste is slow’; and ‘Finery is foolery’. On the west wall there is ‘Silence is Golden’; ‘Wisdom is ra
|
