Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is a favourite of locals and tourists alike, with its historic architecture and authentic atmosphere providing a unique pub experiences.
“In Fleet Street are many taverns on both sides of the road, but with the exception of the Cheshire Cheese all or most of them have been remodelled and transformed” (pg 181 (205), Old LondonTravens, E Callow)
It is located on Fleet Street, between Cheshire and Wine Office Court. It was originally established in 1538 as the Horn Tavern and later rebuild in 1667 after the Great Fire of the previous year (pg 182,Old London Travens, E Callow), as inscribed on its round signage hanging above the main entrance (accessible via Wine Office Court (pg 181, Old London Travens,E Callow)). Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese has a unique aesthetic and is easily distinguishable from neighbouring buildings by its wooden black exterior. While it may appear small from the outside, on the inside there are multiple underground rooms and bars for everyone to enjoy food and drinks at a reasonable price.
“The chief glory of the Cheshire Cheese, however, is to be seen downstairs on the left hand of the principal entrance.This is the genuinely old-fashioned eating-room, with its rude tables, its austere seats round the walls, its sawdust-sprinkled floor, and, above all, its sacred nook in the further right hand corner which is pointed out as the favourite seat of Dr.Johnson.” (pg 80 (122), Inns and Travens of Old London – Henry C Shelly)
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Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) was a regular at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Other famous individuals who supposedly drank and dined at Ye Ole Cheshire Cheese includes Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and US President Theodore Roosevelt.
Ye Olde Cheshire cheese was just as busy and popular in the past as it is today, as “At different times of the day may be seen such gatherings of journalists, artists, poets [and] lawyers… Every morning the " bar of the Cheese " is a trysting-place for everyone connected with journalism and its pictorial illustration, from the highest to the lowest.” (pg 186 (211),Old London Travens, E Callow). It was especially popular among authors and poets such as Ben Jonson and John Davidson as it provided a creative atmosphere and inspiration to write all sorts of poetry, even about the pub itself.
Below is the location of the pub on Google Maps, whilst a red dot shows it's placement on a historical map in relation to other landmarks.
