The Prospect of Whitby: London's Oldest Thames Riverside Tavern

Once upon a time, in the heart of Wapping, London, a riverside tavern named the Prospect of Whitby found its roots in the 16th century. It is the oldest Thames riverside tavern and the second oldest tavern in London, dating from around 1520. It was here that Sir Hugh Willoughby set sail in 1553, embarking on a quest for the North-East Passage to China. While it was a meeting place for sailors, smugglers, cutthroats and footpads, the Execution Dock by Wapping Old Stairs was the place where pirates were generally hung.

The pub, a veritable time capsule, bore witness to an array of mysterious events over the centuries. For example, it hosted the first sale of fuchsia plants in the United Kingdom. In the year of 1826, James Mann came to own Mann, Crossman & Paulin Ltd, rebranding the pub as Mann's Prospect of Whitby. It was marked as a Grade II listed building in December 1950 and underwent renovation in 1951 to double the interior space.

In January 1953, the pub was raided by armed robbers. In a different era, the pub has been visited by Princess Margaret and Prince Rainier III of Monaco. The saga of the Prospect of Whitby continues as a historical site that has appeared in films like D-Day the Sixth of June and the video for Gilbert O'Sullivan's Nothing Rhymed.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons