Iconic 200-year-old London pub that had Hollywood drinkers closes down

Staff and punters astatine a landmark pub styled connected a Swiss chalet but located connected a northbound London roundabout, wherever regulars person included histrion Sean Bean, are ‘gutted’ aft it unexpectedly closed down astatine the weekend.

Ye Olde Swiss Cottage has been a fixture connected the roundabout connected Finchley Road since 1830. Swiss Cottage conduit station was opened successful 1868 and named aft the pub.

But the past pints were pulled connected Saturday nighttime and it is already being stripped of its fixtures and fittings and leftover brew sent backmost to Sam Smith’s brewery.

The brewery has sold the tract but the caller proprietor and the aboriginal of the gathering remains a mystery, with the the Campaign for Real Ale urging for it to stay a pub.

Barman Paul Shoebridge has worked successful the iconic pub for 16 years and has served the likes of footballer Dionne Dublin, arsenic good arsenic the formed of Eastenders.

He told Metro: ‘We are each gutted, it’s a bittersweet day. It’s a landmark and volition beryllium a large loss.

‘The past nighttime was Saturday and we ran retired of state to service brew successful the end. It’s the extremity of an epoch that’s for sure. There’s thing rather similar it. I’ve been moving and surviving successful a Swiss chalet successful the mediate of a roundabout successful northbound London. It’s been absorbing for sure.’

Mr Shoebridge said helium is going to discontinue but had been asked to enactment for a fewer weeks successful his basement accommodation to oversee the handover to the caller owner.

He said helium was nostalgic astir the ‘Swiss’, arsenic the pub is known to locals who included A database histrion Sean Bean, a regular successful the excavation room, of histrion Sean Bean, who is presently starring successful transgression play This City is Ours.

Mr Shoebridge told Metro: ‘Sean was present a batch astatine 1 stage. He loved the place. He didn’t privation to leave. A apical bloke and our astir celebrated regular. He loved his excavation and the atmosphere.

He added: ‘The spot drew successful people, it’s a peculiar place. I anticipation they don’t demolish it. I don’t cognize who the caller proprietor is we haven’t been told. I anticipation it’s not going to beryllium replaced by flats.’

Sat beside an Odeon cinema, the pub is other the Hampstead theatre and the Central School of Speech and Drama. It has ever been a watering spread for those moving and studying successful the arts, on with locals from each walks of life.

Hacks from the section paper, the Hampstead and Highgate Express, besides packed the place, which was conveniently other the publication’s bureau successful the earl 2000s.

The pub was renowned for its comparatively inexpensive Sam Smith’s beers, with Alpine lager a peculiar favourite.

Kevin Edwards, 67, told Metro: ‘I unrecorded a fewer minutes from the pub and had gone determination for years.

‘I didn’t cognize it was closing oregon I would person gone for a cheeky pint to accidental goodbye. It won’t beryllium the aforesaid astir present without it. It was a due aged London boozer ambiance but successful a Swiss chalet, brainsick really.

‘We utilized to spot Sean Bean successful determination with his excavation cue erstwhile helium was starring successful Sharpe. It was surreal. We conscionable anticipation determination won’t beryllium a large improvement determination it seems to each beryllium astir gathering flats for cash.’

It is not known wherefore the pub was designed successful the benignant of a Swiss chalet, butits quirky look made it a section landmark successful the traffic-choked area. It was primitively adjacent to a toll gross for travellers who would popular successful for a drink.

Joanne Scott, from the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), said the closure was a ‘real nonaccomplishment for the section assemblage and besides for London’.

‘There has a pub connected tract for 200 years and determination aren’t galore pubs successful this area, truthful it is important to support it arsenic pub.’

Forty six pubs person clues successful the superior successful the six months to June past year, according to existent property analysts Altus.

Sam Smith’s Brewery has been contacted for comment.

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