Blackfriar Pub

The Blackfriar pub, located on a strikingly triangular site opposite Blackfriars Station, is truly unique. While “unique” is often overused, it fits perfectly for this pub due to its remarkable decorative design. Built in 1871-2, its true charm lies in the extensive remodelling done around 1905 by Alfred Pettitt, the pub’s then-publican and architect, H. Fuller-Clark. Fuller-Clark, a Lambeth School of Art graduate, worked closely with artist Henry Poole R.A., both advocates of the Arts & Crafts Movement, which emphasized high-quality materials, craftsmanship, and imaginative design.

The pub’s exterior draws attention with its impressive mosaic fascia. You’ll find the words “Saloon / 174 / The Black Friar / 174 / Brandies” set in deep mosaic on the New Bridge Street side. The main entrance on the left features a segmental-arched doorway crowned by stone-carved figures and a colourful mosaic of monks fishing. Marble walls and ceiling adorn the exterior lobby, while around the pub, illuminated copper signs feature jovial friars advertising “Worthington Ales” and directing patrons to the saloon.

The pub’s interior is a lively tribute to the Dominican friars who once lived in a nearby monastery established in 1278. Friars appear everywhere, sculpted, painted, and rendered in bas-reliefs. The scenes within the pub celebrate eating, drinking, and merriment. Over the left-hand bar is a relief titled “Tomorrow will be Friday”, showing monks gathering fish for the following day’s meatless meals, while another scene, “Saturday afternoon”, depicts friars gardening.

One of the standout features is the grand fireplace recess framed by a tripartite arch with built-in seating. Above the fireplace, a bronze relief called “Carols” shows friars singing, and marble panels display copper-relief monks’ heads alongside the words “Summer” and “Winter.” A stained-glass window adds charm, showing a friar enjoying a sunlit garden.

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the Blackfriar is the small, barrel-vaulted, windowless room, added between 1917 and 1921 as a snack bar under the nearby railway. This room is lined with marble and alabaster and is decorated with humorous bas-relief scenes, such as monks doing laundry under the inscription “Don’t advertise, tell a gossip” and others pushing a pig in a wheelbarrow under the words “A good thing is soon snatched up”. Devils represent music, drama, painting, and literature and decorate the cornice. Other witty inscriptions include “Industry is all”, showing a monk napping, and “Finery is foolery”.

The craftsmanship in this room is exquisite, with six alabaster capitals depicting nursery rhymes and 16 smaller capitals illustrating Aesop’s Fables. Bronze monk statues holding water buckets stand on four lamp brackets, representing Morning, Evening, Noon, and Night. A particularly eye-catching relief, “Contentment surpasses riches”, shows a monk peacefully sleeping surrounded by fairies, with inlay details of mother-of-pearl and semi-precious stones. Mirrors enhance the small room’s space, and the tables here are now reserved for dining, with a “Table Service Only” sign marking the area.

The bar is equally striking, featuring a curved counter made of marble and timber with a buff marble top. Historically, the main bar was divided into two rooms, which explains the friars on the copper signs outside guiding patrons toward the saloon.

The Blackfriar’s extravagant design is a rare remnant from a time when pubs were often decorated with a flourish. The interior has even been featured in films, including “Maurice” (1987) and the 1978 remake of “The Big Sleep” with Robert Mitchum.