Silver Cross Tavern

The Silver Cross Tavern stands on Whitehall in the City of Westminster. Its foundations date back to the 13th century when part of St Katherine’s Hermitage occupied the site. The present pub opened as a licensed establishment in 1674 under the name The Garter, though earlier records show it had operated before then. It passed through the hands of William Waad, Joseph Craig and the Earls of Harrington over the centuries. In 1861 the name changed to The Silver Cross when leased by the Earl of St Vincent. The building’s walls were once lined with lead, and a wagon-vaulted ceiling remains from later rebuilds. The tavern’s unusual claim to fame comes from a 17th-century royal licence granted by Charles I. Although never revoked, the licence has never been used for its original purpose. In 1999 the BBC described the pub as the only theoretically legal brothel in the country. Its proximity to government offices and Trafalgar Square draws civil servants and visitors alike. The Earl of St Vincent leased the pub in the 19th century, and in the 20th century it was owned by TJ Bernard before becoming part of the Taylor Walker chain. Inside, the bar retains a plaster ceiling installed when Charles I lived nearby. The pub expanded in the 1990s to include the former numbers 33–35 Whitehall after a pizza restaurant closed next door. A Victorian façade fronts the building, now numbered 37 Whitehall at the western end of Craig’s Court. The wagon-vaulted ceiling and lead-lined walls recall its medieval origins. Visitors find a traditional pub atmosphere close to the heart of London’s government district.