THE WENLOCK

February 2026. Islington.

20 minutes walk from Bombay Corner to my gig at Islington Assembly Hall over Regent’s Canal. Walking London is a joy, questionable football clubs apart.

Not the most, or best, pubbed part of London, but great to see young folk (discuss “young“) filling the trad pubs early evening.

While the youth (my two included) seem so drawn to attractive older pubs, the future is in safer hands than we may think.

In complete honesty, I really didn’t want another beer, but could you walk past the Wenlock Arms ?

It’s quite a hidden gem; hadn’t walked past it in a quarter of a century. Most of the crowd tonight weren’t born when I last visited.

A half of something strong from Weekend Project,

and a forlorn search for a table, inside or out.

Any pub with Marianne Faithful’s “Broken English” in the Gents is OK with me.

Islington comes to life as you hit Upper Street at dusk,

and the Assembly Hall is an acoustic gem.

Which is just what Arizona’s Courtney Marie Andrews deserves.

She plays startling new album “Valentine” through first, which is a thrill for me as rail issues mean I have to leave early.

So I miss her old stuff in the second half, but I never was one for nostalgia.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

11 thoughts on “THE WENLOCK”

  2. I definitely couldn’t walk past the Wenlock Arms, even though, like yourself, it must be several decades since my last visit.

    I also really enjoyed your musical interlude from Courtney Marie Andrews – so there’s a result!

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  3. I’ve got 36 hours in London end of May for a gig, and the Wenlock is on the list of revisits. Would be in my London Top 3 I think, maybe edged out by Sutton Arms and Southampton Arms.

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  4. The Wenlock Arms is on my list of Good Beer Guide ‘failures’ – it was unexpectedly closed in 2021 when I tried to get it ticked off. I’ve not been to London since.

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  5. The Wenlock shines like a beacon in the dark – an oasis among the terraced houses of Hoxton. I’ve been in there three times over the last couple of months. It was mad busy all times. Also great to see young people drinking cask. The William IV is OK, too, as swanky gastros go.

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    1. Yes, great to see pubs so busy with young people, Morten. And to see cask drunk a bonus.

      One thing I notice, particularly with my own sons (24 and 26) is that they love the old pubs like this. Because they’re cosy and gorgeous, I guess.

      The next night I visited the craft bar up our hill and the clientele was in its 50/60s !

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      1. The Pocket is always very busy when I visit, too. I’ve even seen lone female guests buying pints of cask in there! There are some quality pubs in that part of London, even if they require a bit of travelling between.

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