Dog And Bull, CROYDON, London

Croydon's oldest licensed venue is a traditional pub with character to welcome everybody.
Croydon's oldest licensed venue is a traditional pub with character to welcome everybody. We're not 100% sure how long the Dog and Bull has been around, Croydon was a thriving center of commerce as far back as Medieval times, but what is for certain is that this real gem of a real pub in the heart of Croydon market has a very colorful history. The Dog and Bull was definitely standing by 1595 when it was called the Bell, and the land at the back of the pub was originally the village pound where stray animals were kept. It's even possible that the animals may have belonged to the inmates of the jail that stood in Surrey Street.
This pound continued to be used well in to the second half of the 20th Century and the street itself used to be known as Butcher's Row after the dominant trade there. The cattle and carcasses were kept in the Dog and Bull yard. A brewery also stood alongside the pub for many years, possibly as far back as 1695, the pub may well have acted as a tap room for the brewery. Rebuilt in the 18th Century, the Dog and Bull is now a Grade II listed building and offers a warm welcome and well kept beer having been a regular feature in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for many years.