Local area

Unrivalled views of the River Thames and Bankside

The Samuel Pepys is tucked away down Stew Lane, a narrow turning off busy Upper Thames Street that is bursting with history.

‘Stew’ was a medieval term for a brothel and Stew Lane once afforded direct access to the Thames. From here watermen would have ferried passengers across the river to Bankside opposite, an area largely free of the rules and regulations of the City itself. On Bankside there were theatres, bear-baiting pits and a large number of the aforementioned stews, and Pepys, a man who frequently went in pursuit of pleasure, often made the short journey across the river.

Once inside the Samuel Pepys itself, make a point of stepping out onto the small balcony that overhangs the Thames. It offers unrivalled views of the river and Bankside. Look to your left and you will see Southwark Bridge and, looming large on the landscape, the Shard. Completed in 2012, it is the tallest building in the United Kingdom.

The pub is a short stroll from a number of London landmarks and attractions, including St Paul’s Cathedral, Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge and The Monument.

The nearest tube station is Mansion House, approximately two minutes’ walk away, with Cannon Street Tube Station only a five minute walk away.