For many, an afternoon or evening spent in the pub is part of our weekly routine. Even if you prefer to stay away from booze, spending time in the pub catching up with friends and family is a long-standing tradition in the UK. While there are plenty of pubs to choose from up and down the country, there’s no denying that some are simply better than others.
The UK is home to a wide variety of pubs, from the wonkiest pub to the pub loved by millionaires and more recently, one pub even decided to rebrand as Britain’s first Reform UK pub. While some may think politics is best kept at the door when it comes to visiting our local, it’s fair to say you can find all sorts of public houses up and down the country.
But one pub in London manages to nab the title for one of the most unique pubs in the UK thanks to its mysterious beach that only appears at certain times of the day.
While London might be the last place you think of when it comes to choosing a pub near a beach, the city is, in fact, home to Thames Beach.
Tucked in between Tate Modern and London Blackfriars Station, The Founder’s Arms is complete with an outdoor terrace that looks out onto the River Thames, and if you come at the right time, a secret beach reveals itself.
In an article for The Sun, Cyann Fielding reported that when the “tide washes out, directly beneath the pub a sandy beach emerges”.
Although the River Thames isn’t suitable for swimming in, so you might want to leave your bathers at home, Cyann said the beach was “surprisingly clean” with “golden sand and all”.
Central London is certainly the last place you might expect to indulge in a beachside pint, but once the tide is out on this patch of river, there’s plenty of shore to look out over.
However, the pub is located just above the river bed, meaning it can be easy to miss. Describing their visit, one Tripadvisor user said: “You cannot fault the location, overlooking the Thames. There is also a beach just outside…yes there is sand and children were playing on it as it was low tide”.
With a menu serving quintessentially British food and a selection of beers and wines, if you plan on visiting it’s best to check tide-forecast.com to make sure you don’t miss a glimpse of the golden sand beach.