Defiant Brit punters ignore rising water to carry on boozing at historic pub

A pub in west London had more in common with a boat than a boozer this week after it fell victim to unusually high tides.

The Bulls Head took to X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, to share a remarkable clip that showed flood water from the River Thames lapping against their front window on Monday (October 30). Located in Chiswick, the historic boozer has been licensed since 1722 but has been operating as an inn for 400 years.

It exists in the shadow of the latticed Kew Rail Bridge and is just across the river from the famous Kew Gardens. This week the bridge cut an ominous silhouette against grey skies as the water licked the glass.

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Through the windows looking out towards the Thames pub tables can be seen submerged in the drink, benches’ seats under entirely and table-tops not far off. Despite the water levels though, the pub remained open and locals continued to enjoy their Monday pints.

One image shows a woman in Wellington boots holding a plate of food with a big grin on her face. In the background, a bloke sits on a bench with his shoes off and his jeans rolled up as he reads the paper.

In another, a lad can be seen turning up for a refreshment via canoe. In the original clip shot from inside the pub, voices can be heard chatting and the clink of a glass is heard as the pint session continues despite the conditions.

The pub was used in the 1800s as a meeting point for ship captains to plan the trips they were setting off on and is suspected to have even been stayed in by famous parliamentarian and former MP Oliver Cromwell. Despite all this history though, the flooding is reported to be a regular thing.

Replying to a comment on the X post, the Bulls Head admitted that flooding like this happens “a few times a year”.

Conditions inside the pub were affected however, with landlady Barbara Smith telling the Evening Standard: "We had to move an elderly group of people off one area of our dining yesterday. We're so used to it happening, but bless them they felt a bit like they were in the Titanic – I think that was the comment – so we moved them."

Some water does get in but, “we put a slate floor in that room, so we just mop it up and it's all just a bit of fun," she added.

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