Crocker's Folly is a Grade II* listed

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 ...

at 24 Aberdeen Place,

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

, London. It was built in 1898, in a

Northern Renaissance The Northern Renaissance was the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps. From the last years of the 15th century, its Renaissance spread around Europe. Called the Northern Renaissance because it occurred north of the Italian Renais ...

style, and was previously called ''The Crown''. Geoff Brandwood and Jane Jephcote's guide to heritage pubs in London describes it as "a truly magnificent pub-cum-hotel" with "superb fittings", including extensive use of marble. The architect was

Charles Worley Charles H Worley (1853–1906) was a British architect. Early life Allinson puts forward that Charles Worley was the son of the architect Robert James Worley (1850–1930), of the architectural practice Worley & Saunders, who was "involved ...

Interior

The highlight is the "grand saloon" as it was originally known. There is an exceptional marble fireplace, as well as a marble-topped bar counter. Altogether 50 different types of marble are used, with paired marble Corinthian pilasters supporting the opulent part-gilded beamed ceiling, and even the chimney and the saloon walls are faced with marble.

Frank Crocker

In 1987, the pub's name was changed to Crocker's Folly, which had been its nickname for many years. The story was that Frank Crocker, believing he had a reliable tip-off about the site of the new terminus of the

Great Central Railway The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its London Extension. On 1 January 1923, the company was grouped into the ...

, built the pub on a lavish scale to serve it, however when the terminus was actually built it turned out to be over half a mile away at

Marylebone Station Marylebone station ( ) is a Central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the Marylebone area of the City of Westminster. On the National Rail network it is also known as London Marylebone and is the southern ter ...

– leading to Crocker's ruin, despair and eventual suicide, jumping from the window of an upper floor. In reality, Crocker died in 1904, aged only 41, but of natural causes, although the subsequent landlord, Charles Durden, did kill himself in the way described. Every wall, window and ceiling was decorated in ornate style, with soaring pillars, wood panelling and elaborate stucco featuring gambolling cherubs. Its grand saloon used 50 types of marble to create a magnificent bar-top, archways, an enormous fireplace and soaring pillars, which in turn supported the opulent part-gilded beamed ceiling. Even the chimney and walls were faced with marble.

Redevelopment

The pub closed in autumn 2004 and in November 2011,

Westminster City Council Westminster City Council is the local authority for the City of Westminster in Greater London, England. The city is divided into 20 wards, each electing three councillors. The council is currently composed of 31 Labour Party members and 23 Cons ...

gave outline planning consent for the conversion of the three upper floors to residential use. It was noted that the building was on the English Heritage ''Buildings at Risk'' Register, and in need of urgent repair. In February 2014, ''London Drinker'' magazine reported that work had begun on the conversion of the upper floors to apartments and that the ground floor would be converted to a restaurant, perhaps with a bar. In 2014, it was acquired by Maroush, a group of Lebanese restaurants, and it reopened in October 2014 as a Lebanese restaurant and bar.

References

External links

* {{National Inventory Pubs Grade II* listed pubs in the City of Westminster National Inventory Pubs Buildings and structures completed in 1898 St John's Wood Buildings by Charles Worley