The George Inn, Southwark
The George Inn, or The George, is a public house established in the medieval period on Borough High Street in Southwark, London, owned and leased by the National Trust. It is located about from the south side of the River Thames near London Bridge and is the only surviving galleried London coaching inn. History The pub was formerly known as the George and Dragon, named after the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. It is possible that it was used for Elizabethan theatrical productions (Inn-yard theatre), as other galleried inns were. A pub has existed on the site since medieval times. But in 1677, it was rebuilt after a serious fire destroyed most of Southwark. The medieval pub was situated next door to an inn where Chaucer set The Canterbury Tales. Later, the Great Northern Railway used the George as a depot and pulled down two of its fronts to build warehousing. Now just the south face remains. Charles Dickens visited The George, and referred to it in both Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend. Description The building is partly timber framed. The ground floor is divided into a number of connected bars. The Parliament Bar used to be