Will lockdown mean it's last orders for Clerkenwell's pubs?

Clerkenwell boasts some of London’s finest bars and pubs, with a history going back many centuries. So the effects of Covid:19 have had a dramatic and potentially damaging effect on the character of Clerkenwell itself.

Clerkenwell pubs have always had a good story to tell. From Ye Olde Mitre across in Hatton Garden dating back to 1546, to Lenin’s favourite boozer, The Crown and Anchor (now The Crown Tavern) in Clerkenwell Green, there have always been plenty of watering holes to cater for locals and visitors alike. The heyday of the Clerkenwell pub was the late 19th century with 1885 map shows 23 pubs on St John Street alone, catering for the herders driving their cattle down towards Smithfield market.

But now many of these very British and very Clerkenwell institutions face a difficult future. Over the last 20 years, there has been a 35% decrease in the number of pubs. And then along comes Covid:19 and the great lockdown.

Clerkenwell Green, seen by many as very the heart of Clerkenwell, usually has a happy throng of drinkers enjoying the unique and historical spacious outdoor area the Green has to offer. Even in winter time there are usually a few people wrapped up sitting at the tables outside, and in spring and summer the crowds really emerge. The swell of drinkers outside the Crown Tavern on a sunny evening sometimes links all the way to meet a similar crowd up Clerkenwell Close outside The Three Kings.  So the sight of an empty Clerkenwell Green has been slightly eerie to say the least. 

But since the pub lockdown was eased, some pubs and bars have reopened, with some faring better than others.  

Exmouth Market was the first location to regain it’s original irrepressible buzz. When the weather allows, at least, it has a distinctly continental vibe, with plenty of outdoor drinking and dining. The narrow and previously packed Café Kick can’t really cater for an indoors crowd, but has joined the restaurants and has expanded its outdoor dining and drinking capacity.

And whilst office workers are still rather thin on the ground the famously rebellious Clerkenwell Green didn’t remain empty for long, with its outdoor tables now well attended, complete with table service (one of the few positives of the situation? Albeit a trivial one.)

Another unexpected and positive outcome of the pandemic has been a resurgence in localism and a sense of communities coming together. It’s too early to make any firm predictions, but this spirit may offer a glimmer of hope to our local pubs.

The Sutton Arms on Great Sutton Street has found the support of locals reassuring. This gem of a pub has been run by Mike Duignan, and now his son Jack, for 30 years. A good, honest boozer sells an excellent range of beers. Jack has introduced some of the best traditional ales and finest new craft beers around and, part-way through lockdown, started selling them through the corner doorway of the pub. “Most of the office workers have obviously disappeared, but we’ve attracted quite a few new customers who actually live around here, but have never popped in before. Bizarrely quite a few Americans who really know their craft beer!” Mike informed me. “Hopefully they’ll keep coming now lockdown is easing. What we’d really like is for the office workers to come back into town.” According to Jack “A lot of people just want a proper draft pint. The two pint takeaway bottles have proven really popular. And the fact that we’ve been here for our local customers seems to be really appreciated.” When asked about coming out of lockdown, and reopening, Jack confessed “I’m scared, confused but also quite excited.”

If there’s one thing tougher than running a pub whilst observing social distancing, it’s running a pub that’s famous for live entertainment. Whilst observing social distancing. The Betsey Trotwood on Farringdon Road is such a place. 

Run by landlord Richard ‘Raz’ Cobbing,  since 2006, it has developed a unique place in London gig-goers’ hearts. The pub has created a strong sense of community and is a Mecca for music, poetry and comedy connoisseurs. Wired for sound on all three floors, it attracts name acts and not so well-known bands from around the world.

But indoor live events in a pub hardly lend themselves to social distancing. “My plans at present are to open 2nd September.” Raz informed me “As you said, it’s very quiet out there at the moment and I can’t see there being much of an office population returning before September. And as we’re unable to put on gigs it leaves us looking very quiet for the next month or two.” 

But such is the loyalty and affection held towards the pub that an online show to raise money to support this iconic venue was held in June. Musician Danny Wilson, who has played The Betsey numerous times, at gigs with his bands The Champions of the World and Bennett Wilson Poole joined with Raz and manager Patrick to pull together a stellar line-up of over 40 Betsey ‘regulars’ and fans, including The Magic Numbers, Robyn Hitchcock and LA’s Gospelbeach, as well as comedy stars Henning Wehn and John Hegley for an online festival to support the pub/venue. Over 10,000 people watched the live-streamed festival on the night gaining 4,200 likes or comments. (It can still be seen at www.youtube.com/TheBetseyTrotwood ).

“I am so grateful for the amazing sense of support and love we felt for the Betsey.” Raz enthuses, “I guess people don’t realise what they’ve got until it’s gone and we really felt a lot of love that night! … In addition my landlord, Shepherd Neame Brewery, have been very fair in granting a 4 month rent holiday, a game changer really, although I know many publicans haven’t been so lucky. We’ve got a long way to go, with uncertain times ahead but with the help of our dedicated community of gig goers and regulars we sincerely hope to be able to continue that fine tradition and see the Betsey fly again!”  

The British pub has been with us since shortly after the Black Death in the 14th century. And London pubs even remained open ever since. Even during the Great Plague of 1665. Daniel Defoe’s account of the events in his ‘1665: A Journal of the Plague Year’, state that the city mayor went so far only as to decree “that disorderly tippling in taverns, ale-houses, coffee-houses, and cellars be severely looked into, …and that no company of persons be suffered to remain or come into any tavern, ale-house, or coffee-house to drink after nine of the clock in the evening.” Basically just bringing last orders forward to 9pm. 

So hopefully with support from locals, breweries and the increasing trickle of office workers most of Clerkenwell’s pubs can avoid the ultimate ‘Last Orders’ and remain an integral part of EC1.

It could even be argued that, purely in the interest of the local community, it is your civic duty to go out and drink (safely and responsibly, of course.)

I’ll raise a glass to that. Cheers!  

A shortened version of this article first appeared in the Aug/Sept 2020 edition of EC1Echo. ec1echo.co.uk/download/