The Old Queen’s Head

Did a queen ever actually reside at The Old Queen’s Head? The answer, my friends, is a bit of a royal riddle. The Old Queen’s Head, standing proudly on Essex Road, whispers tales of centuries past. The pub itself dates back to around 1830. However, its soul is much older. Step inside, and you’ll be transported back to the early 17th century. The magnificent plaster ceiling, with its ornate bands and emblematic panels, is a relic of an earlier structure on this very spot. Notice the grand fireplace. Two carved figures support an entablature, showcasing intricately carved scenes. This, too, is a 17th-century treasure. Now, about that queen. While no queen actually lived here, the name likely refers to a previous establishment demolished in 1829. Writer Walter Thornbury, in the 1870s, described this earlier pub as a majestic wooden and plaster building, three stories high. Bay windows projected outwards, supported by carved figures and brackets. A central porch, reached by several steps, was flanked by carved oak caryatides topped with Ionic scrolls. Thornbury’s account details a parlor within, echoing the current pub’s interior. The ceiling, he wrote, was adorned with dolphins, cherubs, and acorns, framed by a border of fruit and foliage. A medallion, possibly Roman in style, held the initials “I.M.” surrounded by cherubim. The fireplace, still present in The Old Queen’s Head today, depicted the stories of Danae and Actaeon. Figures of Venus, Bacchus, and Plenty completed the scene. Some say The Old Queen’s Head is haunted, a claim often attached to historic London pubs. Whispers circulate of a woman and a girl, both in Tudor garb, seen flitting through the pub’s shadows. Thornbury also addressed a rumor linking the pub to Sir Walter Raleigh. While acknowledging the tale, he dismissed it as unfounded. The connection likely stemmed from Raleigh’s patent, granted in the thirtieth year of Elizabeth’s reign, to license taverns and wine retailers throughout England. The Old Queen’s Head, or its predecessor, may have simply been one such licensee. So, as you raise a glass at The Old Queen’s Head, remember that while royalty may not have lived within these walls, royal history certainly echoes within them.