Unique Bars & Pubs London's Best Pubs West End Pubs The Lamb and FlagLamb and Flag - Covent Garden
The Lamb and Flag is at the end of a cobbled lane, not far from Covent Garden Tube and is the oldest pub in this part of London. 
Former site of bare-knuckle boxing bouts (it used to be known as the Bucket of Blood), these days it's popular with local media companies and puts on no airs and graces. It serves Real Ales, beers and simple filling food, nothing fancy. The Lamb and Flag is not difficult to find, though like many, is easy to miss. The lane leading up to the pub is popular with drinkers during the warmer months. Try upstairs if the bar below is too crowded.
The front brickwork was added in the 1800s, but the interior behind this outer skin dates from the late 1600s. The back bar area has a fireplace and wooden settles. In 1679, the poet John Dryden was apparently set-upon by thugs in the alley at the side of the Lamb & Flag and barely escaped with his life. The upstairs bar is called the Dryden Room, which was probably the least they could do under the circumstances. Most people don't know about the upstairs and it's not unusual to find seats up there, when the downstairs is thick with drinkers.
Charles Dickens was a customer, but I'm beginning to wonder whether there are any pubs in London which he didn't frequent. I understand it was grist to his social-commentary mill, but I imagine Mrs Dickens grew tired of keeping his evening meal warming on the stove.
Early boxers wore basic gloves often with spikes embedded in the knuckles, to protect the fighter's hands and inflict maximum carnage on the opponent. It wasn't until the 1700s (a century after the Lamb & Flag first opened) that any semblance of rules were introduced into the sport. The London Prize Ring Rules (1743) were initiated by heavyweight champion Jack Broughton and introduced two game-changing rules.
Firstly, either fighter was allowed to drop to one knee at any time during the fight for 30 seconds to recover, and the other fighter would have to hang back. Though this was often seen as 'unmanly' behaviour and would usually be negotiated out of the bout, by the fighters' seconds. The other rule was that gloves were outlawed, hence 'bareknuckle', meaning that head-shots became limited. The chances of damaging your hand by releasing multiple head-shots was very high, so tactics changed to body blows and stamina. Wearing down your opponent and keeping yourself in the game - which also helped the gambling aspect, as bouts tended to last longer.
Lamb & Flag, 33 Rose Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9EB.
Covent Garden or Leicester Square Tube.
Call: 020 7497 9504
