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Tag Archives: The Elephant & Castle pub
The Elephant (not) in the Room
If you’re the astute sort you’ve probably noticed that the famous statue that used to adorn the primary entrance to the ‘now past tense’ Elephant and Castle shopping centre has been removed. And if you aren’t astute then trust us, it ain’t there anymore. We’re here to tell you more about the Elephant and if we’ll ever see it again.
When the Elephant and Castle pub closed for redevelopment in 1959 the metal statue was removed and then given a second lease on life as the centrepiece when the new shopping centre opened in 1965, above. Unfortunately it vanished in still mysterious circumstances a few years later and the centre was left without a mascot. Fast forward a few years and our current elephant was fashioned as a fibreglass replica and given pride of place. For over four decades it grew as a loveable mascot of Elephant. Frequently repainted in red and pink, over time it settled into a more grey patina, more suitable for a proud pachyderm.
The statue has been removed for several months as it is apparently undergoing a million pounds (??!!) in renovation work. According to developers Delancey “We have been keen to keep the Elephant in the local area and are now therefore pleased to announce that the Elephant & Castle statue will be moving to its new home in Castle Square”. We think this is builder’s parlance for ‘we wanted to get rid of it but Southwark told us we had to keep it’. Castle Square is a surprisingly spiffy little square behind the old shopping centre and is the current but temporary home to many of the centres’ former tenants, as seen below.
If you have a preoccupation for statues that go missing from one place and then turn up somewhere else, first of all you might want to seek professional help. If the condition persists, have a look at our intriguing article about the mighty South Bank Lion that adorns our fair side of Westminster Bridge.
The Elephant & Castle pub
The Elephant & Castle pub in North Kennington has been on quite a journey these last 250 years but we’re confident its present incarnation is the best it has been.
Back in 2015 it had its license revoked after a series of alarming incidents. Then it was occupied by squatters and mooted to become a branch of Foxtons, which would have been the ultimate unwelcome symbol of the scorched earth gentrification of the area. Then it was declared an asset of community value and taken over by Antic Pubs who also run The Old Red Lion, and they’ve done a mighty fine job on it. It’s certainly a symbol of gentrification but a tasteful one that reflects the character of the building and the area. I mean, it has an actual sewage waste pipe exposed beneath the ceiling – how North Kennington is that?
A lot of love and care has gone into the seventies-inspired interior:
They have some good real ales on tap.
The kitchen is now open and the food is a different level to any other pub in the area, somewhat filling the gap left by The Duchy Arms whose menu seems to have gone more lamestream recently.
We had a starter of potato, leek and cheddar frittata:
The Sunday menu has all the expected roasts but also plenty of veggie options including this mushroom, cheddar and parsley stuffed aubergine with trimmings including an excellent Yorkshire pudding:
And these English vegetables with goats cheese, almonds and rapeseed oil:
The Wolseley would been proud of this breaded chicken schnitzel with fries and lemon & sage butter:
The beer garden certainly has atmosphere, although it could be London’s least green and most polluted.
See here for more on the history of the pub and the area:
And if you’re wondering where this pub is, it’s on what was the North Roundabout, now The Bend. Look out for their rather amusing A-boards:
Address: 119 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN.
Telephone 02074038124
