The Punch Tavern and Offices Above London, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

TQ 3181 SE FLEET STREET, EC4

627/8/10065 Nos. 98,99 and 100 (The Punch Tavern and offices above)

GV II

Public House, with offices over. Rebuilt in two phases by Saville and Martin, first the main part of the pub and the Fleet Street frontage in 1894-5 and then the Bride Lane frontage with a Luncheon Bar behind in 1896- 7. These works carried out for W. R. Baker. Red brick in mixed bonds with stone dressings; polished granite and glazed terracotta to the ground floor. Hipped roof of slate. Four storeys and dormers over basement. Four-window range; angled corner window range and one-window range to Bride Lane. Included behind is the three storey-plus-attics, four-window range to rear in a similar style. All openings flat arched. Jacobean revival style. Entrance flanked by faience pilasters topped by lintels bearing the name in original script on a. ~ banner; lamp bracket and sign. Entrance with overlights to upper floors to the right of the corner range. Dentil cornice to ground floor. Window ranges one to three on upper floors treated as symmetrical elevation with the centre windows projecting slightly and given strapwork embellishments, which are repeated to the sides in much simpler forms; embellished range topped by Dutch-gable dormer. Recessed join between third and fourth window ranges, the latter embellished with aedicule. Corner range identical to simpler ranges in the main elevation. Upper floor windows lighting stairs above second entrance arranged in two tiers and each with two lights, stone mullions, and characteristic Jacobean ornaments. Ground floor of three-storey extension to rear is taken up by polished granite and wood front of public house. Entrance vestibule: bright tile work with etched mirrors, doors of original design. Interior features of note: just inside entrance a barrel vaulted skylight; skylight over bar; wall panelling and much of bar of original design; acanthus frieze and dentil cornice to walls and floor beams; ceiling divided into panels by acanthus scrolls and garlands. The previous building on the site was known as the "Crown and Sugar Loaf' but was renamed the "Punch Tavern" in the late 1840s because of its association with Punch Magazine which had its offices at that end of Fleet Street. Saville and Martin designed the better-known "Tottenham" in Oxford Street.

Listing NGR: TQ3159781161