Kensington Pubs

A tour of pubs in the north part of Kensington (the area between Notting Hill Gate and High Street Kensington).
Pubs featured in this video:
Churchill Arms: whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/15915/ch...
Uxbridge Arms: whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/15945/ux...
Windsor Castle: whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/16652/wi...
Elephant and Castle: whatpub.com/pubs/WLD/16643/el...
All four of these pubs are on CAMRA's list of historic pub interiors:
Churchill Arms: pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
Uxbridge Arms: pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
Windsor Castle: pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs/64
Elephant and Castle: pubheritage.camra.org.uk/pubs...
As always PubsHistory.com is helpful for pinning down dates:
Churchill Arms: pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Ke...
Uxbridge Arms: pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Ke...
Windsor Castle: pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Ke...
Elephant and Castle: pubshistory.com/LondonPubs/Ke...
...and some further tidbits can be found on Wikipedia for a couple of today's pubs:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chu...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor...
Chapters:
0:00 Churchill Arms
5:41 Uxbridge Arms
9:24 Windsor Castle
15:15 Elephant and Castle

[@keithkent8565]

My favourite You Tube channel. Thanks Tweedy for these videos and i hope there'll be many more to come.

[@TweedyPubs]

Wow thanks Keith! Very kind of you to say so. Fear not, plenty more of these videos to come! Although I am going to run out of London neighbourhoods at some point, so might have to start thinking of different themes for grouping the pubs together. I'm sure it has been done before but I'd quite like at some point to try going to every Coach and Horses or every Blue Posts in London... but I suspect if I tried that for every Red Lion it might be ruinous! In a similar vein I once considered a tour of pubs associated with Dylan Thomas, but once I looked into it, it turned out to be another very long list... Perhaps something seasonal (best Christmas decorations?) or quirky (pubs with cats?) or something else...?

[@josephwouldham1251]

Great video as usual,and lovely info on the pubs,keep up the good work

[@user-nz5uq3gx4t]

Hello Tweedy. Daniel from Johannesburg here. Thanks for a bloody good show. I don't how I stumbled across the page, but I always look forward to your efforts. As an ex-Londoner, I have to suggest a Tweedy examination of the Walworth Road and Camberwell Green, saving that I am suggesting South Ealing Road...

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Daniel! Glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for the suggestions. I haven't really done much justice to South London yet, partly just for lack of familiarity, but also I think less is written about pubs that side of the river. I hope that means there are some hidden gems to be uncovered!

[@mitchelluk1445]

As much as I like the Churchill pub, the locals and bar staff there are very withdrawn and reserved The few times I have been there I have had a few altercations while waiting for a pint and the bar staff have served a local who had come to the bar after I had been waiting That's one of my biggest pet hates when in a pub...... Apart from that the area has amazing pubs

[@TweedyPubs]

I do sort of know what you mean. On my visit the staff were pleasant, but I got a slight air from the one or two locals there as I was going around taking clips of video that they wished I would just b*gger off, along with all the other tourists, and leave them to enjoy their pub in peace. I do understand how they feel, I first went to the pub about 15 years ago, before the rise of Instagram etc, and there weren't nearly as many tourists at that point. Back then it did feel a bit more like somewhere you might want to stay for a few pints, wiling away the afternoon, admiring the chamber pots, etc. Today though, whilst it would seem remiss to exclude it from a tour of Kensington pubs, I didn't particularly feel compelled to linger after that one pint.

[@thekentishpilgrim]

Enjoying your pub videos. I used to live in this part of the world before moving out Kent way and The Uxbridge Arms was always one of my favorite pubs around here. Nice to see it hasn't changed and you also enjoyed it. If you like craft beer The Mall Tavern near The Churchill Arms was also a decent spot. Cheers!

[@paulseoighemcgee5772]

Top notch stuff .

[@SimonStamenkovic]

A couple of cracking interiors in that video, thank you so much for bringing them to us again Mr Tweedy. Really appreciate all the hard work you put in. It;s not easy walking from pub to pub sipping ale, especially in that dangerous british rain. Thanks again.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Simon, and I really appreciate you noticing all the terrible hardships I go through to bring you this content! As you can probably imagine, it was a gruelling afternoon sitting in all those pubs, drinking those beers.

[@johnsharp8632]

You've done it again with a good selection of pubs Tweedy. I have always loved the Churchill Arms and was intrigued by your thoughts on the origin of the name. Some years ago, I remember sorting out an after-work pub tour for my colleagues in this area, and had to add a couple that I had never visited to make up the numbers. One was The Uxbridge Arms and we all loved it, but I remember it being extremely busy on the evening we went there. The interior of the Windsor Castle is right up my street. Timothy Taylors Landlord is always the best bet when it is available, especially given the Gloom and Doom alternatives. Should you venture the other site of High Street Kensington, I can highly recommend The Scarsdale Tavern. I was there a few weeks ago and although it is a Fullers pub, they had one of our favourite draught beers.....Harvey's Best.

[@TheMutley]

Frightfully super video, smashing channel, fascinating history replete with wonderfully educated English language, style, quirkiness and humour.

[@damienoneill4355]

Many great days in the Churchill. Love the vlogs.

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Definitely interesting and informative. A solid three out of three ✔️ ✔️ ✔️🍺👍😀

[@andrewronniedoc]

I am really, really, really enjoying these videos. I'm soaking up loads of ideas for future pub visits, and for that , I thank you, Sir.

[@Thefisherman27]

You've played a blinder there.The Uxbridge arms and Elephant and Castle are two hidden gems in Notting Hill.Two great pubs in the summer.

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Clark! I think I might have just caught the Elephant and Castle on a bad day or at the wrong time. It was a lot busier than I expected and I suppose after the Uxbridge Arms and the Windsor Castle both being so quiet I expected naively to have the place pretty much to myself! I had been there before many years ago and liked it more on that previous visit.

[@jimmyadams628]

Brilliant again 👏 👍

[@liamkatt6434]

Great video. Love your channel. 06.20 St Anne's the famous Shandon Bells' church in Cork city where the public can ring the bells. Aged 16 in 1929 my father lodged in the house nearest to it and was nearly driven mad by the constant ringing.

[@kevinpayne3482]

Love the history of the pubs, how bout including the beer history so what was served in the early days of the pub, 17th or 18th century? I’m from Lewiston New York, you bloaks burnt us down in 1813, no hard feelings. Love your vids👍🏻🍻

[@mjh5437]

"Blokes"

[@steveowen7475]

Outstanding as usual marvellous mix of history and vibrancy plus the beer of course

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Steve!

[@garymcguire8529]

An interesting fact about the Churchill Arms, is that it has so many Christmas lights on it in December, you can see it from outer space, or so I've been told by aliens.

[@robcoles8493]

Another fantastic video - thanks Tweedy

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks Rob!

[@josephcollins6033]

Thanks!

[@MrSteve_Luddite.]

Every time I watch your videos I feel the urge to don one of my tweed coats (and cravat) and head into town to sample proper ales. You have helped me to appreciate bitter more and pale ales less. 🍻

[@TweedyPubs]

Very happy to hear the videos are a source of inspiration! We definitely need more tweed in pubs as well.

[@JohnAleman1]

Another very interesting video always good to see the interiors hear the history and which real ales are on Thanks again🍻

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

All of these pubs were appealing - especially the middle two. There's something about the 1930s. Makes me nostalgic for my childhood: which is odd, because that was in the 1970s. Maybe there was a lot more 1930s surviving then. I may also be drawn to the Uxbridge Arms and Windsor Castle because there were less people in them! Another comprehensive video. There will have to be a publication to go with this series!

[@TweedyPubs]

Thank you! Alas there is already a glut of books about London pubs and I'm not sure I would have much to add to that. Especially as I seem to have developed a degree of scepticism about dates and other historical associations of pubs - for example the Churchill Arms claims on its website it dates back to 1750, which is impossible as the street it is on wasn't laid out until the 1820s. I doubt the truth makes for as much of an interesting read as these pub myths people seem to cherish!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@TweedyPubs When I'm ready to approach publishers about the first print edition of the Roman Gazette, I'll see if I can get us some kind of joint deal!

[@SlurpyDave254]

Only knew about the Elephant n Castle, passed it on way to the Oval...couple of top pubs there pal😊

[@garymcguire8529]

I know another "Elephant and Castel" pub in Vauxhall, south London next to Vauxhall railway station.

[@Triplen01]

Love these. Which areas can we look forward to next?

[@TweedyPubs]

Thanks! Not really sure where to go next! Places on my mind are Maida Vale (a follow on to the Paddington video), the rest of Kensington (only really did the northern bit here), Bloomsbury, whatever part of London the Wenlock Arms is in (is that Islington? Is it Hoxton?), I also feel like a return to Holborn is warranted as there's some pubs there I love but didn't include on the earlier video. Also I really ought to give south of the river more attention.

[@Triplen01]

@@TweedyPubs The Wenlock is definitely a gem of a pub. Looking forward to when you venture further east!

[@TweedyPubs]

@@Triplen01 See my latest upload!

[@BertoniBertone]

Crikey, The Churchill Arms looks a Terry Gilliam-esque pub that’s crashed into a Homebase car park selling Xmas trees…. When they turn the lights on does Ken High Street go dark ?

[@TweedyPubs]

I do know what you mean, and given some time to reflect I'm slightly in two minds about how I feel about the pub. On the one hand, I love pubs being eccentric and individualistic. There really isn't anywhere else quite like the Churchill Arms... but at what point does that just go a bit too far, and it becomes a sort of museum / theme park / tourist attraction?

[@hungbearlover]

I went to the previous Publicans send off retirement party

[@bregawn]

Churchill looked better in 1980