Bull's Head, Strand-on-the-Green
The Bull's Head is a Grade II listed public house at 15 Strand-on-the-Green, Chiswick, London, England. The building (Grade II listed in 1970) is 18th century with later additions; the architect is not known. It is a two-storey white-painted brick building, and still has its pantile roof with two dormer windows. The entrance has a moulded doorhood resting on brackets.[1][2] Inside, the pub's bar and drinking area consists of numerous rooms on different levels; the lowest room is the "Duck & Grouse" restaurant.[3]
It is adjoined by nos 10 to 14, Bull Cottages, also 18th century; they suffered flood damage from high tides, and were restored in 1967.[1] The actor Donald Pleasence lived in the house at the end of the Bull's Head buildings, marked by a blue plaque.[4]
An unlikely legend maintains that Oliver Cromwell stayed in the pub, then escaping to the nearby Oliver's Island and hiding there;[3] there is no reliable evidence for either claim.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Strand on the Green Conservation Area Appraisal" (PDF). London Borough of Hounslow. May 2018. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
- ^ Historic England. "The Bull's Head public house (1356694)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
- ^ a b "London Pub Guide: Chiswick: Bulls Head". London CAMRA. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
The interior is a warren of drinking areas on various levels, with the lowest, the "Duck & Grouse" serving as a restaurant. Used by Oliver Cromwell as a secret HQ during the civil war until he was betrayed to royalist forces and had to make his escape via a tunnel to what is now Olivers Eyot, an island in the Thames. His sister, the Countess of Fauconberg, lived nearby.
- ^ "Strand on the Green, Hounslow". Hidden London. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Oliver's Island, Hounslow". Hidden London. Retrieved 17 December 2015.