The Dove - Hammersmith Walk
A Pint In The Nation's Smallest Bar Room
Why write about just another pub? Certainly, there are enough pubs in London to visit by accident, much less on purpose, right?
Well, I beg to differ, as Unwrapping London is no simple task. In fact, I lose sleep at night with the realisation that I will probably not be able to visit every London pub, at least the ones worth visiting, before I die.
While this may seem like a wonderful problem to have for most, there are others like me, and this journal is for them.
And to all you naysayers out there, The Dove in Hammersmith is not just another pub aside the river. Legend has it that this is where James Thompson penned the words to the song Rule Britannia back in 1740...
Not doing it for you? Well, it seems that The Dove is also a recording breaking pub, as it sits neatly in the Guinness Book of World Records as having the smallest bar room in the UK.
How exciting!
By smallest bar room, what I really mean is there is a door off to the side in the entrance of this early 18th-century drinking establishment that the vast majority of new patrons tend to miss. This is the entrance to the UK's smallest bar room, Guinness plaque and all.
On this particular visit, I was deprived of the chance to have a record-breaking pint as it was packed full with three whole patrons, and they didn't look like they'd be moving anytime soon.
So instead, I settled into a warm, leather armchair by the fireplace and took stock of the old paintings and low-hanging rafters, for which many people in 2016 would gladly sell their first born to have in their home.
Boasting a fantastic view of Hammersmith Bridge on the deck in the back and a homey atmosphere throughout, it's no wonder this pub has survived so long (and it's far from the oldest). So unless the London Traveller suddenly loses the love of drinking in historically significant places, The Dove's life is far from over.
