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The Museum Tavern, Bloomsbury
by Mark Hoile
The Museum Tavern is a pub with a long history relating to both the building itself and the surrounding area known as Bloomsbury. Now a district frequented mainly by tourist and students Bloomsbury was developed on land originally owned by William de Blemund in the late 12th century. His property Blemund's-bury later produced the name Blooms-bury. The land remained rural until the late 17th century when leases where granted for the building of homes for aristocracy who also required community buildings for tradesmen, servants, horses, etc. along with taverns. The earliest record of a tavern on the site of Great Russell Street and Museum Street (Formerly Queen Street) is dated 1723. However it is believed that liquor sales took place before this time at The Dog and Duck as the tavern was then known. The name relating to its use by those who took part in duck hunting which at the time was a popular sport of the aristocracy.
John Creed became landlord in 1762 and initiated the name British Museum tavern, as an attempt to identify the pub with the nearby British Museum collection, which was being developed from a collection of specimens collected by Sir Hans Sloane, in Montagu House opposite the Dog and Duck.
In 1798 a new lease was acquired for the British Museum tavern and the building was redeveloped into a traditional public house. The architect William Finch Hill designed the 1855 expansion of the site with the ground floor front and classic mahogany back bar fitting being evident today. The pub itself consisted of a public bar, a private bar, and a small jug bar with its own entrance providing additional off sales. Behind the counter could be found a small bar parlour for the landlord and his guests. All areas where separated by wood and glass partitions. 1889 saw another redesign of the interior this time by architects Wylson and Long. Finch's classical style was partly preserved as five separate bars were created, with partitions and decorations of stained glass. Two rare examples of these stained glass windows survive in the bar today, and are an essential part of any visit. The Victorian Pub of five bars was reduced to three in 1935 with the removal of two partitions. However in the 1960s these remaining partitions were also finally removed.
Today the Museum Tavern provides a good selection of real ales in a building of immense character, from which close inspection will reveal an interesting past.
Mark Hoile
North London Branch Pub Preservation Officer
Reproduced from the Full Pint, Issue 12.
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