Wetherspoons could open pub in former London dungeon

Sarah HooperPublished Sep 18, 2024, 2:43pm|Updated Sep 18, 2024, 2:44pm

The Sun Wharf could open in London Bridge soon (Picture: Getty)

A new Wetherspoons pub could soon open inside the railway arches which were once home to the London Dungeon attraction.

The Sun Wharf pub has been proposed for the railway arches on Tooley Street, which runs alongside London Bridge station, from 6.30am to 12.30am daily.

The name is thought to reference one of the wharves in east London where imports from Australia arrived.

If the pub does open, it will be the first time the arch on Tooley Street has been used since 2013, when the London Dungeon attraction moved to South Bank.

Network Rail oversees the letting of the railway arches, and said in 2017: ‘The residual premises provide a very poor quality environment. The former user (London Dungeon) was somewhat unusual in so far as the poor quality environment was its main attraction.

‘NR Commercial Property has been unable to identify other potential D2 users willing to lease the residual space in its current state.’

Mandatory Credit: Photo by REX/Shutterstock (10590367n) Wetherspoons in Hornchurch Greater London still open but with rules to prevent spread of virus with many older drinker and Post Office works apparently flouting vague govt guidelines Coronavirus outbreak, London, UK - 20 Mar 2020 Life goes on or not in this outer London suburb/ Essex with some shops shut and others staying open amid confusion on how people are meant to act during the Coronavirus voluntary lock down — Wetherspoons recently opened in Waterloo station (Picture: Shutterstock)

But the railway arch could soon be home to a brand new Wetherspoons branch, in near walking distance to one of London’s busiest train stations – London Bridge.

London Bridge serves roughly 130,000 commuters per day, and is busiest on weekends.

In August, The Lion and the Unicorn, in The Sidings opened in Waterloo station, giving commuters the option to grab a Wetherspoons pint on their commute.

Its name is inspired by the Festival of Britain which was held at the nearby South Bank in 1951 and showcased British achievements in the arts, architecture, science and technology.

Similarly, ‘Spoons bosses say ‘the attitude to light, colour and innovation at the festival (the complete opposite to pre-1951 Britain) have all been adopted in the design,’ and the interiors even incorporate sketches shared by family members of the original architects and graphic designers.

Known as the ‘social side’ of Waterloo, The Sidings features a number of other businesses such as Nando’s, Brewdog, Blank Street coffee, and a Lucky Voice karaoke bar.