One of Poole’s public houses with a long and interesting history is the Butler and Hops in central High Street, known for 100 years or so as the London Tavern Inn, which has occupied two buildings on the present site.

It was in the 1930s that the proprietors decided to demolish the old hotel and rebuild in a more modern style. During demolition, a foundation stone with the date 1725 was found, and later built into the garden wall.

From The Angel to London Tavern

It was in the early 1760s that John Butler, Gentleman, rebuilt or converted a house on High Street into an inn known as the Angel. In 1766, it was given a new name of the French Horn and Trumpet and by 1771, the London Tavern name appears in local press notices.

The London Tavern became a hub for town life with auctions being held regularly. In the comfortable surroundings of the London Tavern, you could put in a bid for a horse or a house, buy a carriage or even invest in a sailing ship like the ketch William and Catherine (74 tons) and the 90-ton schooner Amity on offer in 1807.

Businesses were offered for sale there, a corn mill and mill house by the River Stour at Longham Bridge and in July 1811, a Poole brewery, with dwelling house, malthouse, offices and twelve tied public houses, including the Jolly Sailor, Air Balloon, Anchor and St. Clement in Poole and the George and New Inn in Longfleet.

As one of the larger inns in Poole, the London had an important part to play in the life of the town. It was there that Poole merchants and businessmen could catch the coach which ran three days a week to London, taking only two days for the journey.

The London Tavern’s main business as a coaching inn continued to develop, as roads improved, and more routes and faster services were added. In 1815, the Wellington Post Coach operated between the London Tavern and Bristol three times a week, taking 13 hours or so each way.

By 1822, the Sovereign, an elegant light post coach, was making the journey to London in just one day. It left the London Tavern at 6 am. and arrived at Southampton in time to catch the London coach, reaching London nine jolting hours later (or around fourteen hours for travellers from Poole).

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