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Blind Beggar Pub
Type: Bar, Pub
10Best Says
Established in 1894, this is a typical old Victorian pub, though the interiors have been given something of a makeover. It's the history here that is truly fascinating. To start with, it was opened on... Read More
Established in 1894, this is a typical old Victorian pub, though the interiors have been given something of a makeover. It's the history here that is truly fascinating. To start with, it was opened on the site of the old Mile End Toll Gate, where Jack the Ripper committed a lot of his crimes. Later on, in the gangland days of the 1960s, Ronnie Kray infamously walked into the pub and shot George Cornell dead with a 9MM Mauser. The record playing on the juke box at the time, which also got hit by a bullet, was coincidentally The Walker Brothers' 'The Sun Ain't gonna shine anymore.' This might have been the most famous murder, but in 1904 a man called Wallis, a member of the 'Blind Beggar Gang' a group of notorious pickpockets stabbed a man in the eye too.
The pub today has a happier mix of locals and students. The main appeal is the large beer garden with koi ponds, fairy lights, parasols and heaters in winter.
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EXPERT TIPS BY:
Tyler Wetherall
Travel Expert
- East London's Best Historic Pubs: "You'll see lots of people stopping off here as party of history walks around the East London area."
- Best for East London's Best Historic Pubs Because: This pub is famous for its criminal past; it's built on the site of Jack the Ripper killings, as well as an infamous Kray murder.