Jack Straw's Castle is a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...
and former
public house
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...
in
Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the London Borough o ...
, north-west London, England.
The site is named after the rebel leader
Jack Straw, who led the
Peasants' Revolt
The Peasants' Revolt, also named Wat Tyler's Rebellion or the Great Rising, was a major uprising across large parts of England in 1381. The revolt had various causes, including the socio-economic and political tensions generated by the Blac ...
in 1381 and who is said to have taken refuge on the site until he was caught and executed. A pub has existed here since at least the early 18th century. The building was altered in the early 19th century.
[
]Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian er ...
was known to visit the pub, describing it as a place where he could get "a red-hot chop for dinner, and a glass of good wine". William Makepeace Thackeray and Wilkie Collins also visited it. It is mentioned in Bram Stoker’s '' Dracula'', where Professor Van Helsing and Doctor Jack Seward stop to dine, and also in Harold Pinter's play '' No Man's Land''.
It was the final residence of the music hall singer Alec Hurley
Alexander Hurley (24 March 1871 – 6 December 1913) was an English music hall singer, and Marie Lloyd's second husband.
Born in London, Hurley began a boxing career, during which he would perform a song entitled "The Strongest Man on Earth" aft ...
, who died there in 1913. The building was badly damaged in The Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'.
The Germa ...
during World War II.
The current building was designed by the architect Raymond Erith
Raymond Charles Erith RA FRIBA (7 August 1904 – 30 November 1973) was a leading classical architect in England during the period dominated by the modern movement after the Second World War. His work demonstrates his continual interest in expan ...
and dates to 1964; speaking at Erith's memorial service in 1974, the poet laureate Sir John Betjeman called the building "true Middlesex" and "a delight". The pub closed in 2002, and was then converted to a number of luxury apartments and gymnasium. As of 2020 the building is empty.
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
Buildings and structures in Hampstead
Pubs in the London Borough of Camden
Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Camden
Former pubs in London
Buildings and structures in the United Kingdom destroyed during World War II
{{pub-stub